49ers abstain from vote on NFL policy requiring players on field to stand for anthem

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (KGO) -- San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York abstained from Wednesday's vote on a new policy requiring on-field players and personnel to stand for the national anthem, ESPN reports.

The policy permits players to stay in the locker room during the "The Star-Spangled Banner" but requires them to stand if they come to the field to "show respect for the flag and the Anthem."

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The decision was announced Wednesday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the league's spring meeting in Atlanta.

The owners spent several hours addressing the contentious issue - which has reached all the way to the White House.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, a quiet but powerful protest against police brutality and racial inequities in the justice system.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.