OAKLAND, Calif. -- An unusual situation surrounding a high school football player's eligibility that jeopardized division four playoff games and even suspended a game over the weekend has been resolved in favor of Placer High School.

Last Friday, the Colfax Falcons were on a bus from Placer County to play the Oakdale Mustangs in Stanislaus County when a judge ordered the game suspended.

The court order came over a conflict involving the paperwork of a player who was allowed to play for Placer High School in Auburn.

Because that player was ruled ineligible by the California Interscholastic Federation, the federation said Placer High must forfeit five games.

That sent Colfax to the playoffs instead of Placer High.

The judge's Monday ruling puts Placer High School back in the Division 4 playoffs and clips the wings of the Colfax Falcons, ending their season. While one school's despair is another's jubilation, the ruling will also affect thousands of foster children who play sports in California.

Placer tailback Dalton Dyer was all smiles leaving Alameda Superior Court in Oakland Monday afternoon. A legal battle over the rights of foster children led to an unlikely victory in the courtroom, giving dyer and his placer high team another shot on the gridiron.

True to fashion, the shy running back -- nicknamed the D-Train -- tried to steam past the media and make a quick getaway, but he did pause long enough to say that he was happy with the judge's ruling.

Dyer's advocates with the National Center For Youth Law were also pleased about the decision.

"We couldn't be more happy with the ruling," said Dyer's representative Leecia Welch. "I mean it's obviously a victory for our client, Dalton, but more importantly to us, it's a victory for all foster youth."

The complicated case stems from a challenge of Dyer's eligibility as a transfer student to placer this year. The court moved the youngster, who has been in foster care all his life, to a new home in Placer.

His new school submitted a change of residence form with the California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body of state interscholastic athletics.

The CIF ruled Dyer's move was not a valid change of residence and that hardship transfer papers should have been submitted. Dyer was ruled ineligible and his team had to forfeit five games.

Rival Colfax got the nod for the playoffs, while Dyer's attorneys filed for a temporary injunction to halt the playoffs.

"It places a barrier a restriction of foster youth that other youths -- if they had moved into town with their families -- wouldn't have to face," explained Welch.

Lawyers representing the CIF, declined to talk, but in court argued the same system of rules apply to foster kids, as well as foreign exchange students.

In the end, Judge Ford ruled the rules are unfair to foster children, an order that has, in essence, produced the first victory of the Division 4 playoffs for Placer High.

"While my heart goes out to the youth, I know there's going to be disappointment, but they'll understand. They'll understand the importance of having the right play in the playoffs," said Welch.

Colfax High head coach Tony Martello said he was numb and felt bad for his players and football program, but that he would abide by the court's decision.