Parker Tirrell went down after a hard foul in front of goal in the second half of a girls soccer scrimmage on Tuesday night, and she drew a much-needed penalty for her team while down 1-0.

Tirrell played for Plymouth Regional High School in a friendly preseason match against White Mountains Regional High School. Her participation in the game, and the sport, was up in the air over the weekend until a ruling by a federal court judge allowed her to join her team — at least for now.

A bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu on July 19 prevented 15-year-old Tirrell — and 14-year-old Iris Turmelle and other transgender girls — from playing competitive sports designated for girls in grades 5 through 12.

After being informed by their school districts that they would not be allowed to play, Tirrell and Turmelle, of Pembroke, N.H., along with their families, sued their school districts and the state’s education commissioner, Frank Edelblut, saying the ban violated their rights under Title IX and the 14th Amendment.

The thought of not playing soccer, a sport she’s played since she was 4, was “crushing,” Tirrell said last week.

Tuesday was a chance to return to normalcy.

“We’ve lived in this community Parker’s whole life. So it’s not like they didn’t know Parker before she transitioned,” Sara Tirrell said. “They’ve all been great, welcoming and encouraging.”

The law that took effect on Sunday prohibits students assigned male at birth from participating on female sports teams. Proponents of the bill have said it is necessary to protect girls and ensure fairness in sports. The law requires students’ birth certificates to reflect their biological sex “at or near the time of birth.”

The judge put in place a temporary restraining order that will remain in effect until Sept. 2, Labor Day, allowing Tirrell to play for now. However, the court has scheduled a hearing on the motion for preliminary injunction for next Tuesday.

Tirrell’s attorney, Chris Erchull, expects U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty in Concord to make a ruling before the expiration of the temporary restraining order. If the motion is granted, it would allow Tirrell to continue playing until a final decision on the case.

The scrimmage on Tuesday ended in a 1-1 draw, hard-fought by both sides in preparation for their upcoming fall season.

Tirrell did not start the game but came in and out of the match as the team’s coach evenly rotated players in preparation for the upcoming season.

She had a few goal-scoring opportunities throughout but was frustrated once again. Despite the penalty being missed, the Plymouth Bobcats rallied to even the score later in the second half after she was substituted off.

Tirrell said it felt good to be back on the field after the game, and her mother said that the community has been supportive. The whole team was cheered on throughout the game after a slow start and going down early.

“They cheer for Parker just the same as they cheer for other kids,” Sara Tirrell said.

Plymouth’s first official game of the season will be on Aug. 30 at Merrimack Valley High School. Tirrell is expected to play in that game due to the ruling earlier this wee as the case progresses in court.

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