Taking the knee before a Premier League match is the players' gesture against racism and all forms of discrimination. Before each season, the captains agree whether it will happen and which matches it will happen at.
What the gesture means
Taking the knee before kick-off is a public anti-discrimination gesture. It stands against racism and against all forms of discrimination.
The gesture happens before the match starts. It is an expression by the players, rather than a competitive part of the game itself.
Who decides and how it is set
The decision is confirmed before each season by the Premier League captains. They agree both that the players will take the knee and the matches where it will take place.
The league supports that choice and works with clubs on anti-discrimination messaging as part of its No Room For Racism Action Plan. The gesture sits within that wider campaign rather than standing alone.
At the start of the 2021/22 season, players from all 20 clubs confirmed that they would continue to take the knee ahead of matches. The practice continued after that, with the match schedule for it confirmed on a season-by-season basis.
When it happened in 2023/24
These are the occasions the captains confirmed.
| Occasion | When in the season |
|---|---|
| The opening round | The first matches of the season |
| No Room For Racism fixtures | October |
| Boxing Day fixtures | December |
| No Room For Racism fixtures | April |
| The final round | The last matches of the season |
For 2023/24, the captains confirmed a selective schedule rather than having the gesture before every match. The chosen points in the calendar were the opening and final rounds, the two dedicated No Room For Racism fixtures, and the Boxing Day programme.
What the league's position is
The league backs the players' decision to take the knee. It also works with clubs on anti-discrimination messaging within the No Room For Racism Action Plan.
The players make the gesture, and the league supports it while running wider anti-discrimination messaging with clubs.
FAQ
Do Premier League players take the knee before every game?
Not before every match. In 2023/24, it was used before selected rounds rather than across the full fixture list.
The arrangement is confirmed before the season starts, so the schedule can change from one season to the next.
Who decides whether Premier League players take the knee?
The captains confirm it before each season. Their decision covers both whether the players will take the knee and which matches it will be part of.
The league supports that decision, but the choice itself comes from the players' side.
What is No Room For Racism in the Premier League?
No Room For Racism is the league's anti-racism initiative and part of its wider anti-discrimination work. The league and clubs use it for messaging as part of the Action Plan.
Taking the knee is linked to that work, but it is one gesture within a broader programme.
Why are players kneeling before a Premier League game?
They do it as a gesture against racism and all forms of discrimination. The act is placed before kick-off so the message is visible before the match begins.
Its purpose is expression, not match procedure.