The American Football Association said on Wednesday that it had canceled a policy that requires players to stand during the national anthem's playing. He described this matter as a "mistake" and stated that it detracted from the "important black lives" movement.
The Federation stated that its board of directors voted to abolish this policy (1 - 604), as it was introduced after the leader of the national women team, Megan Rapioni, sat on her knee in 2016 in support of the social justice demonstration initiated by American football player Colin Cabernick.
"It became clear that this policy was wrong, and it detracted from the important message of (the life of blacks is important)," the American Federation said in a statement.
The union apologized to "the players, especially the blacks, among them - the technical bodies, the masses, and everyone who wants to eliminate racism."
The women's team won the American women's support, and on Monday the union was asked to apologize to black players and fans for imposing a penalty on their knees.
Demonstrations have spread to America and around the world, including the world of sports, since the death of the defenseless black man George Floyd while in custody by the Minneapolis police late last month.
"The lives of blacks are important," the US women's team stated in a tweet bearing a statement. We can do more. We'll see".
This move shows that the American Football Association joined the International Federation (FIFA) and the American Football League in re-evaluating their position regarding the rights of athletes to peaceful protest on the field.