The U.S. Soccer Federation repealed the organization’s 2017 policy requiring players to “stand respectfully” during the national anthem.
The decision came days after the U.S. Women’s National Team called for an immediate end to the policy. The women’s team also asked the organization to admit that the policy was wrong and to apologize to black players and supporters.
“U.S. Soccer affirms Black Lives Matter, and we support the fight against racial injustices,” the organization said in a statement Wednesday.
The policy was enacted after Megan Rapinoe, a star of the women’s team, kneeled in solidarity with now-former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the anthem to protest police brutality against black people in 2016.
“It has become clear that this policy was wrong and detracted from the important message of Black Lives Matter,” the organization said. “We apologize to our players — especially our Black players — staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism. Sports are a powerful platform for good, and we have not used our platform as effectively as we should have. We can do more on these specific issues and we will.”
U.S. Soccer did not give specifics on how it plans to address racial injustice, other than supporting players’ efforts in fighting for equality.
