Sports law consists of very broad set of rules. The level of autonomy in force in the field of sports law depends on the area under consideration. Sports law enjoys the greatest autonomy in regulating the rules that are important for the course of the sports game or the match itself. Sports referees play an important role here, because they make sure that the match really takes place according to these regulations. In order for the referees to judge as well as possible, they enjoy a high degree of autonomy, which is manifested through the so-called "field of play" doctrine, which limits the possibility of challenging the decisions of sports referees made during a match. Challenging such decisions is only possible in some cases, but in general, legal protection in this area is very limited. At first sight, such a restriction may, from a legal point of view, appear as a breach of fundamental legal principles, which include the rule of law, but that is not the case. The rule of law principle is part of the corpus of sports law rules, as are many other principles. Narrowing the possibility of challenging judicial decisions therefore does not constitute a breach of the rule of law. Upon closer analysis, it is determined that this only enables the establishment of the principle of the rule of law. Therefore, such a restriction is actually a necessary condition that enables the best approximation of a "fair match". The referees are experts and are therefore the best guarantor for the athletes that the match will be carried out in a "fair sporting spirit". Nevertheless, the range of reasons for the assessment of judicial decisions could be somewhat expanded to allow for more flexible handling of certain individual cases. This would still be in accordance with the principle of the rule of law, and would at the same time provide athletes and all those who have been harmed with the highest possible legal protection.
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