What does the NFL national anthem policy say about kneeling? All you need to know

In 2018, NFL owners unanimously approved a national anthem policy mandating players to stand if they are on the field for the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." However, since then, the policy has not been formally enforced, therefore its current status is unclear.

The NFL owners voted in approval of the national anthem policy two years after quarterback Colin Kaepernick ignited protests against police brutality and racial injustice by sitting and later kneeling during the anthem.

As per the rule, players are free to stay in their locker room during the national anthem. However, NFL teams are penalized if any of their players or staff members sit or kneel during the playing. Teams may then choose to impose fines on specific players or staff members for violations.

All NFL owners who voted supported the rule, however, the owner of the San Francisco 49ers, the team that employed Kaepernick when he began the protest, did not cast a vote because of "the lack of player involvement in the decision process.”

"We want people to be respectful of the national anthem," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2018. "We want people to stand and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That's something we think we owe." [H/T Reason]

It should be noted that crucial information was still lacking even after NFL owners approved the national anthem policy, such as the precise fine that teams would be required to pay and the league's definition of "respect for the flag.”

The NFL retracted the 2018 national anthem policy in 2020 because of its divisiveness

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had declared in a statement made public in 2018 that:

"This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.”

Goodell withdrew that policy in June 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, due to the polarization it had created.

"The NFL was wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encouraging all to speak out and peacefully protest," Goodell stated in a video message in 2020.

These remarks came the day after quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and a few of his fellow players uploaded a video in which they demanded that the league denounce racism.

Prior to the approval of the 2018 policy, the previous NFL national anthem policy stipulated:

"The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem. During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition.

"It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

It's crucial to pay attention to how the word "may" is used in the last part of the above rule. Under the previous national anthem policy, the NFL did not necessarily have to discipline players or employees who opted to protest during the playing of the national anthem.