At the end of season the bribery scandal involving Maribor emerged, and caused the club to be relegated from second tier to third by the decision of the Football Association of Yugoslavia disciplinary committee.
Some club officials were keeping track of the bribery expenses in their black book, which was later confiscated by the authorities.
There were no teams relegated from the 1979–80 Yugoslav First League and the four clubs promoted to the second level were Lovćen, Rabotnički, Sloboda Titovo Užice and Vlaznimi Đakovica.
Due to disturbances in the territory of Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, in the second part of the season Prishtina, Trepča and Vlaznimi Đakovica played their matches outside of the region.
In the final round, Galenika Zemun played away against Teteks in a match that would have brought them promotion in case of victory due to better goal difference.