United States Soccer scraps anthem-kneeling policy

Aug 12, 2020: Dallas, Texas, USA; FC Dallas players and Nashville SC players kneel during the national anthem before the match at Toyota Stadium. [Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports]

United States Soccer on Saturday voted to end a ban on players kneeling during the national anthem, something they have done to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

More than 70% of the members of U.S. Soccer’s ruling body voted to scrap the policy requiring players to “stand respectfully” during the song. About 30% voted to keep the policy in place.

“We know that this is a very divisive issue within our country and throughout the world,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone told reporters.

 “So I was not surprised that our membership was not 100% one way or the other.

The U.S. women’s national team stood as a group during the anthem prior to their SheBelieves Cup game on Feb. 21 after some knelt in the tournament opener on Feb. 18.

In this Sept. 18, 2016, file photo, United States' Megan Rapinoe, right, kneels next to teammates Christen Press (12), Ali Krieger (11), Crystal Dunn (16) and Ashlyn Harris (22) as the national anthem is played before the team's exhibition soccer match against the Netherlands in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Team members said they were past the protesting phase of the anthem debate but still committed to fighting to end to systemic racism.

National Football League player Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem in 2016 to protest racial injustice. Other players joined him until team owners banned the practice. That policy was reversed in 2020 during a wave of national protests over racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd in May.

In June, U.S. soccer’s board of directors voted to repeal the no-kneeling policy, which was put in place after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in 2016.

That board vote required confirmation by the wider U.S. Soccer governing body, which it received on Saturday.