 U.S. Soccer has adopted a policy that will require players, coaches and anyone involved with the national teams to “stand respectfully” during the playing of any national anthem. The new policy was revealed at the national federation's annual general meeting in Hawaii after being approved by the board of directors on Feb. 9. The decision comes after Megan Rapinoe took a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to a United States women’s match last fall to protest racial oppression in the country. After Rapinoe took a knee during the anthem, U.S. Soccer released a statement that said, “we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor the flag while the national anthem is played.” 
 
 Now, the federation’s stance is not only an expectation, but an official policy for all of U.S. Soccer. New Policy added to @ussoccer bylaws: Players "shall stand respectfully during playing of national anthem @ which federation is represented" pic.twitter.com/fkVtCI1iHC - Stuart Holden (@stuholden) March 4, 2017 
 
 Rapinoe was not in the U.S. squad on Saturday, instead taking part in a youth training clinic in San Francisco. Reporting from Saturday's U.S. Soccer meeting, Fox Sports' Stuart Holden, a former national team player, said U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati claimed the measure was "unanimously approved." There is is no predetermined consequence for going against the policy, with punishments to be addressed with each case, Holden reported Gulati as saying.
– US Soccer is, by all appearances, the first major American sports organization to ban kneeling during the national anthem, Deadspin reports. US Soccer first addressed the issue last September after Megan Rapinoe took a knee in protest during the national anthem prior to a match. Rapinoe said she was kneeling in solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and marginalized groups, specifically the LGBT community. "We have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag," the league said in a statement following Rapinoe's protest. Despite no other US Soccer player, including Rapinoe, appearing to kneel since then, the organization decided to go a step further. ESPN reports a new rule was approved by the US Soccer board of directors in February and revealed Saturday during the organization's general meeting in Hawaii. Fox Sports' Stuart Holden tweeted a photo of the new rule, which states all national team players must "stand respectfully" during the anthem. That covers kneeling, as well as turning one's back on the flag and other potentially disrespectful actions, according to Fox Sports. The rule doesn't specify any punishment for kneelers, and US Soccer president Sunil Gulati says consequences will be figured out if/when necessary. (Meanwhile, Kaepernick announced this week he'll no longer be kneeling for the anthem.)