| Competition: | Prva savezna liga |
| Season: | 1981–82 |
| Winners: | Dinamo Zagreb (4th title) |
| Relegated: | Teteks NK Zagreb |
| Continentalcup1: | European Cup |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Continentalcup2: | Cup Winners' Cup |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Red Star |
| Continentalcup3: | UEFA Cup |
| Continentalcup3 Qualifiers: | Hajduk Split Sarajevo |
| League Topscorer: | Snješko Cerin (19) |
| Dates: | 26 July 1981 – 2 May 1982 |
| Prevseason: | 1980–81 |
| Nextseason: | 1982–83 |
The 1981–82 Yugoslav First League season was the 36th season of the First Federal League (Prva savezna liga), the top level association football competition of SFR Yugoslavia, since its establishment in 1946. The season began on 26 July 1981 and ended on 2 May 1982. Dinamo Zagreb led by Miroslav Blažević won their fourth title five points ahead of previous season's champions Red Star.
A total of 18 teams contested the league, including 16 sides from the 1980–81 season and two clubs promoted from the 1980–81 Yugoslav Second League as winners of the two second level subdivisions East and West. The league was contested in a double round robin format, with each club playing every other club twice, for a total of 34 rounds. Two points were awarded for wins and one point for draws.
Borac Banja Luka and Napredak Kruševac were relegated at the end of the previous season. Osijek and Teteks Tetovo were promoted from the 1980–81 Yugoslav Second League.
| Team | City / town | Position in 1980–81 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budućnost | Titograd | 6th | |
| Dinamo Zagreb | Zagreb | 5th | |
| Hajduk Split | Split | 2nd | |
| OFK Belgrade | Belgrade | 15th | |
| Olimpija | Ljubljana | 12th | |
| Osijek | Osijek | ||
| Partizan | Belgrade | 8th | |
| Radnički Niš | Niš | 3rd | |
| Red Star | Belgrade | 1st | |
| Rijeka | Rijeka | 7th | |
| Sarajevo | Sarajevo | 13th | |
| Sloboda | Tuzla | 4th | |
| Teteks | Tetovo | ||
| Vardar | Skopje | 11th | |
| Velež | Mostar | 9th | |
| Vojvodina | Novi Sad | 10th | |
| NK Zagreb | Zagreb | 16th | |
| Željezničar | Sarajevo | 14th | |
| League | |||
| Matches | Goals | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 2 | ||
| 32 | 0 | ||
| 31 | 19 | ||
| 31 | 2 | ||
| 30 | 2 | ||
| 29 | 0 | ||
| 28 | 1 | ||
| 26 | 3 | ||
| 26 | 0 | ||
| 25 | 11 | ||
| 23 | 8 | ||
| 17 | 12 | ||
| 16 | 0 | ||
| 15 | 1 | ||
| 9 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 1 | ||
| 9 | 1 | ||
| 6 | 0 | ||
| 6 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 0 | ||
| Zvonko Marić | 3 | 0 | |
| 3 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | ||
| Coach: Miroslav Blažević | |||
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snješko Cerin | Dinamo Zagreb | 19 |
| 2 | Edin Bahtić | Željezničar | 17 |
| 3 | Dušan Savić | Red Star | 16 |
| Vasil Ringov | Vardar | 16 | |
| 5 | Zlatko Vujović | Hajduk Split | 14 |
| 6 | Zlatko Kranjčar | Dinamo Zagreb | 12 |
| Predrag Pašić | FK Sarajevo | 12 | |
| Vili Ameršek | Olimpija | 12 | |
| 9 | Safet Sušić | Sarajevo | 11 |
| Dušan Bajević | Velež | 11 |