»Legal Status of Elite Football Referees in Germany«: In this thesis, the question is examined of whether elite football referees are in an employment relationship with the DFB. It then analyzes the legal consequences of both the affirmative and the negative answer to this question. Special attention is paid to the practically relevant issues of the legal admissibility of a fixed-term work contract, the legitimacy of an age limit and the liability of referees during a match.