The Supreme Court s conservatives appear likely to rewrite the rules for allowing religious prayer in public schools after arguments were heard Monday in a case involving a football coach who prayed on the fields 50-yard line after games.

Even if the court ultimately adopts a narrow ruling in favor of the praying football coach, it would make a notable chip in the legal structure established during the 20th century to separate church and state. That would be a major victory for the Christian religious right, which has been engaged in grassroots organizing to put religious prayer back in schools since the Supreme Courts 1962 ruling barring it from public schools. That same group backed the nominations of all six of the Supreme Courts current conservative justices.

One obstacle to a broad ruling overturning decades of precedent is that the facts in the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District are highly disputed.

The case centers on the actions of Joe Kennedy as the football coach at a public school in Washington state. As a coach, Kennedy was known to mix religious prayer into motivational talks he gave to players. He also led students on his team and opposing teams in silent religious prayer at the 50-yard line after football games.