A ruling by U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson reverses an April judgment that ordered Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams to pay more than $7,500 to cover the NFL's court costs.
Instead, the NFL and both players will pay their own court costs in a case about whether the league could enforce its four-game suspension of them for using a banned diuretic.
Magnuson said Wednesday that it's inappropriate for one side to pay the costs of another because "neither party can fairly be said to have prevailed" in federal court.
The Williamses sued the NFL in state court after they tested positive for a banned diuretic in 2008. The case was moved to federal court, where some of the claims were dismissed, while the rest were sent back to state court.
The Williamses' suspensions are on hold while the state case is being appealed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
