British officials have refused to allow a Iroquois high school lacrosse team to travel to England for a world championship competition using only passports issued by the Indian nation, after the U.S. State Department allowed it.

A British Consulate spokeswoman told the Associated Press Wednesday that the New York-based squad could only use identity documents the United Kingdom considers valid.

Earlier in the day, the State Department dropped demands that the 23-member team use U.S. passports to enter the country for the World Lacrosse Championship in Manchester, England.

The team says it has used passports issued by the Iroquois Confederacy on prior occasions, but federal officials say tough new border security rules make the partially-handwritten passports invalid.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton intervened and was able to get the players a "one-time only waiver.”

Nine of the team members were born in Canada and would still need Canadian waivers.

Team officials say they were surprised by the last minute diplomatic set back.

"It was a little bit of a shock when we thought that we did have an arrangement, an agreement with them, that things were going to be okay once we got the part that we needed to take care of. But you know, we're still staying positive," said Iroquois Nationals General Manager Ansley Jemison.

The Iroquois, who helped invent lacrosse as early as a thousand years ago, will miss the beginning of the tournament on Thursday.

Iroquois Chief Oren Lyons, the team's honorary chairman, released a statement that said in part, "We are deeply disappointed, and urge our friends and supporters to reach out to the British government to seek reconsideration in this unprecedented rejection."