TAKE A KNEE

U.S. Soccer Apologizes for Its Ban on Kneeling During the Anthem

The federation apologized to black players and supporters and said players can now kneel if they want to.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has repealed its rule that required players to stand during the national anthem. In a statement Wednesday night, the federation admitted the policy was “wrong and detracted from the important message of Black Lives Matter.” The U.S. women’s team issued a statement this week calling for the repeal, as well as an acknowledgement from the federation that the policy was misguided, and an apology to black players and supporters. In its statement, U.S. Soccer said: “We have not done enough to listen—especially to our players—to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country... We apologize to our players—especially our Black players—staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism.” The policy was put in place after star player Megan Rapinoe knelt in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.