The power of the National Football League to punish players caught taking performance-enhancing drugs has at least temporarily been blocked by a federal court which ruled in favor of two players suspended for failing drug tests earlier this year. The Minnesota Vikings’ Pat Williams and Kevin Williams, who are not related, were caught taking a masking agent, a violation of the NFL’s Policy for Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances, and suspended for four games this season. But the two linemen took their case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals which ruled the league cannot prevent them from playing while their case remains pending in state court. At issue is whether NFL policy or Minnesota law is the higher power in resolving the fate of the two players.