United States players must "stand respectfully" during the national anthems before national team games, U.S. Soccer announced on Saturday. 
 
 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 bylaw says: "All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented." 
 
 The change comes after Megan Rapinoe kneeled before a U.S. women's senior team friendly against Thailand in September in a protest of social inequality. 
 
 Speaking after the U.S. lost 1-0 to England on Saturday, women's team coach Jill Ellis said she was happy with the policy. 
 
 "I've always felt that that should be what we do, to honor the country, have the pride of putting on the national team jersey. I said that previously. I think that should be the expectation," she said. 
 
 "That's our workplace out there, and I think we should represent ourselves and our country. So yeah, I'm pleased with that." 
 
 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. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. 
 
 Jermaine Jones, a veteran of the U.S. men's team, told ESPN FC that while he also agreed with the policy, he expected his teammates to have their own opinions. 
 
 "You know, for me it's clear. I think if you represent your country, you have to stand," he said. "So if you have the blessing that you can wear that jersey, I don't think it's nice for you to kneel down and that's my [view] to that. 
 
 "But I think everyone can make his own choice as to what he wants. But I think if the national team says that, they're right." 
 
 Before kneeling while with the U.S. , Rapinoe previously knelt during the anthem before a game with her club, the Seattle Reign, acting in solidarity with the similar action taken by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. 
 
 U.S. Soccer said at the time that it did not agree with Rapinoe's decision. 
 
 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. 
 
 A spokesperson for the U.S. women's team players told SI.com: "We were unaware of the content of those bylaws amendments, and we will assess the implications of any unreasonable restrictions for our members." 
 
 Sources told ESPN on Thursday that Kaepernick will stand during the national anthem next season. 
 
 ESPN FC's Jeff Carlisle and ESPNW's Graham Hays contributed to this report. ||||| 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 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. 
 
 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 
 
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 The new policy was revealed at U.S. Soccer’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday. 
 
 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. 
 
 The policy does not specify if there would be a punishment for any members of U.S. Soccer who violate it. Federation president Sunil Gulati said that they will address any consequences if a violation of the policy happens. 
 
 .@GrantWahl Sunil Gulati stated no preset consequences and would be addressed as it happens. https://t.co/pedMjAJ3A4 — Stuart Holden (@stuholden) March 4, 2017 
 
 Players could do more than simply kneel during the anthem. Turning one’s back to the flag, making a derogatory gesture or any number of other actions would also violate the policy and any punishment could depend on the way in which a person does not “stand respectfully.”
– 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.)