Thursday 24 May 2018 10:46, UK
NFL owners have approved a new policy that requires players to stand for the national anthem when they are on the field.
The decision was announced on Wednesday by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell during the league's spring meeting in Atlanta.
It was also stressed that players would be allowed to protest, but only by staying in the dressing rooms for the Star-Spangled Banner.
Any violations of the policy would result in fines against the team and not the players.
"This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the anthem," NFL Commissioner Goodell said.
"Personnel who choose not to stand for the anthem may stay in the locker room until after the anthem has been performed."
Goodell also defended protesting players after they were called 'unpatriotic', by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic," Goodell continued. "This is not and was never the case."
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, a quiet but powerful protest against police brutality and racial inequities in the justice system.
