U.S. Soccer: National team players must stand for anthems

U.S. Soccer revealed a new policy Saturday that will require anyone on a national team to “stand respectfully” during anthems. The penalties for failure to do so were unclear.

An image of the bylaw, which was passed by the soccer federation’s board of directors Feb. 9, was posted on Twitter by Stuart Holden, a former national team player and an analyst for Fox Soccer. Holden attended the federation’s annual general meeting in Hawaii, where the policy was unveiled.

Neil Buethe, director of communications for U.S. Soccer, confirmed in an email Saturday evening that the policy had been approved.

The posted image of the bylaw read, “All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of the national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented.”

Holden also said on Twitter that Sunil Gulati, the president of U.S Soccer, had said that penalties for violating the policy would be determined case by case.

The policy came after Megan Rapinoe, a member of the U.S. national team and of the Seattle Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League, knelt during the anthem at least twice last year: first before a Reign match and then with the national team before a friendly match against Thailand. Rapinoe’s gesture followed the example of Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who said he was protesting injustice against minorities in the United States.

In November, Gulati told FourFourTwo, a soccer website, “I think our board feels quite strongly that there is a difference between playing for your club and your country on this issue.”

Speaking directly about Rapinoe’s protest, he said: “There is a right to free speech; she also has the obligations to putting on a national team uniform. And we think those are pretty strong when you’re representing the U.S. national team and wearing the crest.”