Over the weekend, a new U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) policy came to light that says national team players "shall stand respectfully" during national anthems. The policy was approved last month, but gained broader attention on Saturday when Fox Soccer analyst Stuart Holden posted an image of the rule on Twitter.
New Policy added to @ussoccer bylaws: Players "shall stand respectfully during playing of national anthem @ which federation is represented" pic.twitter.com/fkVtCI1iHC
— Stuart Holden (@stuholden) March 4, 2017
This policy seems to be in direct response to Megan Rapinoe’s decision last fall to kneel during the national anthem prior to a U.