U.S. Soccer scraps policy requiring players to stand for anthem
U.S. Soccer will no longer ask players to stand during the national anthem.
The federation's national council - comprised of representatives from youth, adult, amateur, and professional soccer - voted Saturday to repeal a controversial policy requiring all players to "stand respectfully" while observing the anthem.
The rule was passed unanimously in March 2017 after Megan Rapinoe, United States women's national team midfielder and activist, kneeled in protest of police brutality. Rapinoe was following the lead of then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who first took a knee in 2016.
U.S. Soccer's tone changed after the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in police custody last May. The board of directors voted to repeal the policy in June but needed the rest of U.S. Soccer's membership body to confirm the verdict.
That happened Saturday during the federation's annual general meeting, with 71.34% of registered members electing to scrap the policy.
"This is about the athletes' and our staff's right to peacefully protest racial inequalities and police brutality," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said, according to ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle. "So I urge our membership to please support our staff and our athletes on this policy."
Parlow Cone, a former USWNT midfielder who was elected president in March 2020 and re-elected in January, said last year's nationwide protests against system racism and injustice "galvanized our thinking on the issue."
However, the policy change may not make a difference.
USWNT winger Crystal Dunn, who is Black, confirmed last week that the team will no longer kneel. All players stood for the national anthem before the 2-0 win over Brazil in the SheBelieves Cup on Feb. 21.
"I think those that were collectively kneeling felt like we were kneeling to bring about attention to police brutality and systemic racism," Dunn said.
"Moving forward, we decided we no longer feel the need to kneel because we are doing the work behind the scenes. We are combating systemic racism. We never felt we were going to kneel forever."