AbstractThis article tackles the emergence of transnational law under the pressure of globalisation. It argues that lex sportiva, the law of international sport, is a fruitful research object in order to address three key questions raised by transnational law: What is transnational law? Is transnational law legitimate? How do we deal with transnational legal pluralism? We will address each of these questions separately, complementing each time a general analysis with empirical examples drawn from the field of lex sportiva. In our view, there is a pressing need for empirical work and pragmatic description of legal phenomena reaching beyond the state. Hence, we suggest lex sportiva as a suitable playground for transnational lawyers.