The 1880 South Australian Football Association season was the 4th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia.

The season opened on 8 May and concluded on 18 September.

Norwood went on to record its 3rd consecutive premiership.

Note: Victorian were ranked above South Adelaide on match ratio (only match was drawn), while Port Adelaide were ranked above Kensington on head-to-head record (1-0-1), and Kensington were ranked above South Park on match ratio (both teams were 1-1 head-to-head).

An Association representative team toured South Australia in August, playing three intercolonial matches – two at even strength against the South Australian Football Association representative team, and one against a team of twenty-three South Australian-born players – and winning all three. J. Gibson (South Melbourne) served as captain of the Association team.^[26]

Controversy regarding a goal kicked during the Victorian and South Adelaide game meant the result was not confirmed until it was referred to the SAFA committee.^[8] The result of the game was eventually decided to not count towards the premiership.^[9]

The Port Adelaide and Victorian football clubs decided to play another game against each other as their two previous matches during the season resulted in draws.