Members of U.S. Soccer will no longer be required to stand for the national anthem after the national council voted to repeal a 2017 policy asking players to “stand respectfully” during the song.
The council voted on the change on Saturday, with more than 70% of the ruling body voting in favor of the repeal.
Some players on the women’s national team had long knelt during the anthem, in protest of racism and police brutality, following a trend first started by National Football League players.
Defender Crystal Dunn said earlier this month that her teammates are ready to move forward, stand for the anthem, and instead focus on combating systemic racism outside of the soccer field.
“We’re all proud that we are doing the work behind the scenes,” Dunn said. “And it was just a game that we felt we were ready to move into the next phase and just continuously fight for change.”
Star forward Megan Rapinoe, who became the first white professional athlete to kneel in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, stood for the anthem during last Wednesday’s match against Argentina.
Rapinoe, who knelt alone in 2016, previously celebrated her teammates joining her a year later, when most of the players knelt alongside her.
“I feel a little emotional talking about it,” Rapinoe said in January. “I just have a huge amount of pride and respect for so many people going through their journey and learning and growing and feeling more comfortable speaking about things.”
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United States Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone defended the policy repeal, saying it was in no way intended to disrespect the flag or the military.
“This is about the athletes’ and our staff’s right to peacefully protest racial inequalities and police brutality,” Cone said. “So I urge our membership to please support our staff and our athletes on this policy.”
