BERLIN (AP) — A court has upheld the minimum height requirement for police officers in Germany's most populous state, throwing out the case of three female recruits who were slightly too short.

The North Rhine-Westphalia appeals court said Thursday the state was within its rights to enforce a minimum height requirement of 163 centimeters (about 5 feet, 4 inches.)

The court says the height requirement means recruits can perform all the tasks required of officers, "which allows a flexible and effective use of forces."

Three recruits, who were 161.5, 162 and 162.2 centimeters tall, argued the regulation was discriminatory.

The court last year ruled against a taller minimum height of 168 centimeters for male officers. The state lowered the requirement to 163 centimeters for recruits of both sexes.