| Competition: | Azerbaijan Top League |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Winners: | Neftchi Baku |
| Relegated: | Pambiqci Neftcala Azerbaijan U-18 |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Neftchi Baku |
| Continentalcup2: | UEFA Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Qarabağ |
| Continentalcup3: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | Kapaz |
| League Topscorer: | Gurban Gurbanov (34) |
| Matches: | 450 |
| Total Goals: | 718 |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
The 1996–97 Azerbaijan Top League was contested by 16 teams and won by Neftchi Baku. Champions are Garabag Agdam thanks to "youth points" from the U-15 and U-16 Championships.
| Team | Venue | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azerbaijan U-18 | |||
| Bakı Fahlasi | Ismat Gayibov Stadium | 5,000 | |
| Fərid Baku | |||
| Kapaz | Ganja City Stadium | 26,120 | |
| Khazri Buzovna | |||
| Khazar Sumgayit | |||
| Kur Nur | Yashar Mammadzade Stadium | 5,000 | |
| MOIK Baku | Shafa Stadium (IV field) | 8,152 | |
| Neftchi Baku | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium | 29,858 | |
| Pambygchi Barda | Barda City Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Pambiqci Neftcala | Nariman Narimanov Stadium | 2,000 | |
| Police Academy | Tofik Bakhramov Stadium | 29,858 | |
| Qarabağ | Guzanli Olympic Stadium1 | 15,000 | |
| Shamkir | |||
| Turan Tovuz | Tovuz City Stadium | 10,000 | |
| Viləş Masallı | Anatoliy Banishevskiy Stadium | 8,000 |
1Qarabağ played their home matches at Surakhani Stadium in Baku before moving to their current stadium on 3 May 2009.[1]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Qurban Qurbanov | Neftchi | 34 |
| 2 | Samir Alakbarov | Neftchi | 25 |
| 3 | Rövşən Əhmədov | Kəpəz | 18 |
| 4 | Nazim Aliyev | Qarabağ | 17 |
| 5 | Mushfig Huseynov | Qarabağ | 15 |
| 6 | Həsən Abdullayev | Şəmkir / Pambygchi Neftchala | 14 |
| 7 | Pasha Aliyev | Khazri Buzovna | 13 |
| 8 | Musa Qurbanov | Kur-Nur / Neftchi | 12 |
| Azər İsayev | Khazri Buzovna | 12 | |
| Ismayil Mammadov | Khazar Sumgayit | 12 |