The NFL puts the national anthem policy in abeyance under an agreement with NFLPA



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The Houston Texans knelt during the national anthem before a party last season. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)

The NFL has suspended the implementation of its new National Anthem Policy under an agreement with the NFL Players Association.

The parties announced the agreement Thursday night. The agreement also upholds the NFLPA's grievance on the anthem's policy, ratified by the NFL owners at their May meeting in Atlanta, to go from there. 39, before, at least temporarily.

a person familiar with the situation, confirming that the national anthem policy and the union complaint are included.

The league and the union said in a joint written statement: "The NFL and the NFLPA, in recent discussions, have been working on a resolution to the issue of the anthem. In order to allow this constructive dialogue to continue, we have reached a status quo agreement on the NFLPA grievance and the NFL Anthem Policy. No new hymn rules will be published or applied in the coming weeks as long as these confidential discussions are underway. "

The new anthem policy leaves it up to each team to discipline a player to protest during the anthem.The policy says that a team will be fined by the league for any protest by its players.This gives the players the opportunity to stay in the locker room during the anthem but says that any player who is on the field is supposed to represent the anthem.

For l. moment, at least, this new policy is pending.The previous policy of the NFL anthem, included in its game operations manual, required that players be sidelined for the first time. He suggested but did not ask players to appear in the anthem

This previous policy is likely to resume, pending resolution of the league and the union in the coming weeks. begins on September 6.

The approach of the NFL with regard to the hymn and protests of the players has remained in the throes of controversy since the attempt of the owners last May. Jurrell Casey told CNN at a promotional event in London this week that he was ready to protest during the anthem and accept any fine that would be imposed on him this season. Earlier Thursday, the Miami Dolphins left open the possibility that one of their players could be suspended from four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team in case of protest during the anthem.

Dolphins did not engage According to someone familiar with the planning of the team, who added: "We will address this problem once the season has started.All options are still open." [19659011] According to this person, teams had to submit their rules related to the hymn to the league before their players would show up at the training camp.

Under the collective agreement, the team can assess for the club's prejudicial conduct is a suspension of four games without pay. The Dolphins thus ranked a protest of a player during the anthem as a detrimental conduct to the team and described the maximum possible penalty.

The owners said in May that they wanted to stop the protests of the players during the anthem while still offering the opportunity "

" Those who are not comfortable for the # "Anthem have the right to stay off the field," said Art Rooney II, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, at the end of the match. the May meeting in Atlanta. "We do not force anyone to stand up who does not feel that it feels about particular subjects, but those on the ground will have to get up." We listened to a lot of points I think this policy is meant to go out to a place where we respect everyone's point of view as much as possible. "

The NFLPA is one of a number of different viewers, including our fans, over the past year. Is immediately opposed to the ratification of the new policy by the league, claiming that it was not

The President of the New York Jets, Christopher Johnson, told Newsday in May that his team would not discipline a player who protested during the national anthem

The union left open the possibility of bringing legal action against the new policy in addition to his grievance.

" The NFL and NFLPA reflect the great values ​​of America that, which are repeatedly demonstrated by the many our country to promote equality, fairness and justice, "said the league and the union in Thursday's joint statement. "Our common goal remains to find a solution to the hymn problem through mutual commitments in good faith, outside litigation."

The protest movement of players began in 2016 when quarterback Colin Kaepernick, with the 49ers of San Francisco, refused to represent the anthem. Kaepernick said that he was protesting racial inequality and police ill-treatment of minorities.

The protests continued last season with Kaepernick outside the league after he became independent as a free agent. The national debate on protests and the NFL's reaction has intensified after President Trump said last fall that homeowners should fire all players who would protest during the anthem

Read more on NFL :

Protests from the Dolphin Anthem could lead to suspensions of four games, but punishments are not finalized

The NFL player says that & # 39, he continue to protest during the anthem and to "take a fine"

NFL 2018 training camp calendar and locations: when does your team report

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