Trial by combat was a historical legal practice where two parties in a dispute would settle their differences through physical combat. This method was often used in medieval Europe, particularly in the Middle Ages, as a way to determine guilt or innocence in cases where evidence was lacking. The belief behind trial by combat was that divine intervention would favor the righteous party, ensuring that the victor was justified. This practice eventually fell out of favor as legal systems evolved, giving way to more structured forms of justice, such as court trials and arbitration.