U.S. National Football League (NFL) owners approved a new policy Wednesday aimed at addressing the firestorm over national anthem protests sparked by Colin Kaepernick and polarized by President Donald Trump, permitting players to stay in the locker room during “The Star-Spangled Banner” but requiring them to stand if they come to the field.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the change was approved unanimously by the owners at their spring meeting in Atlanta, but even that was up for debate.

The head of the San Francisco 49ers — Kaepernick’s former team — said his franchise abstained from the vote. CEO Jed York said he wasn’t comfortable with a process that didn’t directly involve the players.

The NFL Players Association said it wasn’t consulted about the new policy and would challenge any changes that violate the collective bargaining agreement.

Clearly, Goodell and most owners just want to put the issue behind them.

“We want people to be respectful of the national anthem. We want people to stand,” the commissioner said. “That’s all personnel, and to make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something that we think we owe. We’ve been very sensitive on making sure that we give players choices, but we do believe that moment is an important moment and one that we are going to focus on.”

In the surest sign that players were not part of the discussions, any violations of the policy would result in fines against the team — not the players. That could be a way to avoid legal challenges from the players’ union, since fines against a team would not be subject to collective bargaining.

The league did say teams could impose their own workplace rules for those who fail to show respect for the flag and anthem, but didn’t say what those policies might be.

Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback, began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, a quiet but powerful protest against police brutality and racial inequities in the justice system. Other players took up the cause, and the gesture carried on during the 2017 season even after Kaepernick left the 49ers and failed to land a job with another team.

Trump turned the debate into a campaign issue, saying the NFL should fire any player who takes a knee during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The NFL hasn’t gone that far, but Kaepernick has yet to land another job and one of his former teammates and fellow protesters, safety Eric Reid, is also out of work.

(SD-Agencies)