[1] BATE Borisov were the defending champions, having won their 8th league title last year.
Vitebsk, as the 11th-placed team, had to compete in the relegation/promotion playoffs against First League runners-up Partizan Minsk.
Partizan Minsk won the playoff, 3–2 on aggregate, and returned to the league after a one-year absence while Vitebsk were relegated after six years in the top flight.
In early 2012 Partizan was abandoned by their main sponsor Vladimir Romanov and consequently wasn't able to keep any of the first team players or obtain the Premier League license.
Updated to games played on 25 November 2012 Source: football.by Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine