The United States Soccer Federation has a planned a board meeting, where they will discuss a repeal of their rules that require players to stand during the national anthem.
Sources told Yahoo Sports and ESPN the meeting with the federation’s board of directors is set for Tuesday. The federation’s requirement was adopted in 2017 after U.S. women’s star Megan Rapinoe knelt in 2016 in response to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest against racial inequality and police brutality. The meeting comes amid protests throughout the United States and the world in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd.
Floyd was killed while handcuffed and pinned to the ground by police in Minneapolis.
The federation’s board of directors is expected to take a formal vote on their policy against kneeling on Friday. The meeting comes after other sports leagues have supported their players protesting and supporting Floyd during their games and practices.
German Bundesliga soccer stars have worn equipment that featured Floyd’s name and knelt before their games in recent weeks. Several NFL players have said they plan to kneel before games during the 2020 season. NASCAR drivers participated in a moment of silence to acknowledge social unrest in the United States on Sunday before the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 in Atlanta.
The National Women’s Soccer League plans to return with a tournament later this month, but Rapinoe is not expected to participate.
