On Wednesday, the NFL announced the decision to put in place a new policy concerning the National Anthem that requires all players on the sidelines to stand. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the regulation had a unanimous vote across the board from the owners to put that rule in place ahead of the 2018 season.

However, Seth Wickersham of ESPN is now reporting that there was not, in fact, an official vote conducted by the NFL, but rather just a poll conducted by league executives about how the owners would vote.

This is clearly something that not all the league owners universally agreed upon by any means, but rather an issue that simply most wanted to address and straighten out.

This has pushed forth a rule that is still quite vague with the terminology used, with the main point of emphasis being to avoid showing “disrespect” to the flag. This is a word that is open to interpretation depending on the eye of the beholder of what that truly entails.

In the NFL's eye, that means that there must be uniform standing while the anthem is being played, while many players could see taking a knee as a visual protest to the social injustice and other issues plaguing the country while still showing respect to the flag.

There are some different ways that this rule can impact the league, as the option to stay in the locker room during the National Anthem could see many players off the field, creating more attention that the NFL doesn't want. Until the league truly sits down with its players to find a just solution to this matter, more issues lie ahead.