The US Women's National Team (USWNT) have been denied the chance to immediately appeal after losing May's court battle over equal pay.
Judge R. Gary Klausner threw out their claim against the US Soccer Federation, after players had sought $66 million in damages under the Equal Pay Act.
Klausner of the United States District Court for the Central District of California said their appeal must wait until after their remaining claims - including unfair medical services, travel and training - proceed to trial, which is set for September 15.
The players' spokeswoman Molly Levinson said the ruling "simply means that an appeal may take longer to file".
Levinson said: "We intend to appeal the Court's decision which does not account for the central fact in this case that women players have been paid at lesser rates than men who do the same job."
The US Soccer Federation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Additional reporting by Reuters
