Summary

All attempts to describe the nature of sports emphasise the social role of sports. Once there are people and relations, there is a need for law. However, one should wonder whether legal constructions and regulation in the field of sports are to be called sports law. Perhaps it would suffice to regard sportsmen’s contracts as part of contract law and the sanctions against breaches of rules as part of penal law and to treat any other arising legal matters under known and recognised legal disciplines. There is no doubt that this is possible. However, there are more and more problems related to sports which require legal attention.
The article outlines fields where sports are treated from a legal perspective. The author addresses the principal questions encountered in sports law: what is the subject matter of sports law, can we speak about sports law at all, which body of law should entail rules governing sports, what should the relationship between sports and law be in practice? In dealing with problems related to sports law, the author draws on the respective European examples as solutions developed in the United State of America remain far-fetched for Estonia.