NFL owners were reportedly considering instituting a 15-yard penalty for players who kneel during the national anthem. However, the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, has just released a statement revealing the NFL's policy on the Anthem protesting.
Under the new NFL policy all team and league personnel on the field will be required to stand and show respect for flag and anthem.
"We want people to be respectful of the national anthem," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We want people to stand -- that's all personnel -- and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That's something we think we owe. [But] we were also very sensitive to give players choices."
The policy will be part of the NFL's game operations manual therefore not subject to collective bargaining.
Specific fines for teams who chose to not stand on the field will be imposed but it's still not clear as to how much those fines will be.
The NFL Players Union has also responded to the new anthem rules, read below: