Sports News Roundup: Women's soccer team calls for repeal of kneeling ban; NFL lays out protocols for reopening facilities and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Athletics ex-boss stands trial for taking bribes to clear Russians of doping

Lamine Diack, the former head of the governing body for world athletics, was at the heart of a corruption scam that saw Russian athletes pay six-figure sums to have their names erased from doping lists, prosecutors told a French court on Monday. Wearing a dark grey suit, Diack, 87, who led the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from 1999 to 2015, stood before the French judges on the first day of trial as charges of corruption, money laundering and breach of trust were read out.

MLB proposes 76-game schedule with 75% prorated salaries: report

Major League Baseball has made a new offer to the Players Association on Monday, proposing a 76-game season with 75% prorated salaries, ESPN reported, citing sources. MLB was scheduled to open its 162-game regular season in late March but delayed the campaign due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Golf: Britain's Rose sponsors new women's series

Former world number one Justin Rose and his wife Kate are to sponsor a new women's series in Britain starting this month. The Rose Ladies Series will comprise seven one-day events for British professionals, beginning on June 18 at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club in Hampshire.

Clemson's Swinney defends reaction to coach's 2017 slur

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made a lengthy statement Monday defending his response to a 2017 incident in which one of his assistant coaches used the N-word during a practice. News of the three-year-old exchange between then-Tigers tight end D.J. Greenlee and special teams and tight ends coach Danny Pearman emerged last week.

Report: Replacement players to be permitted

NBA teams will be permitted to carry replacement players who can be added to the active roster in the event of a positive COVID-19 test, ESPN reported. If a player on the roster tests positive for the coronavirus, they will be quarantined and teammates will be tested.

Reports: 76ers, Devils owners eye bid for Mets

Billionaires Josh Harris and David Blitzer reportedly are looking to add another top-level team to their sports empire. The owners of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils are hoping to purchase the New York Mets, Variety and the New York Post reported Monday.

Women's soccer team calls for repeal of kneeling ban

The U.S. women's national team has called on the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) to repeal a policy forbidding players from kneeling during the national anthem and issue an apology to black players and fans. The USSF will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to consider scrapping the rule, which requires players to "stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented".

NFL lays out protocols for reopening facilities

With NFL teams reportedly set to start bringing players back to the workplace later this month, the NFL issued a detailed list of protocols Monday for the reopening of club facilities. The full nine-page memo, dated Sunday, was published by NFL.com. The league is putting the detailed procedures in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Russian high jumper Shustov receives four-year doping ban

Russian high jumper Alexander Shustov, the 2010 European champion, has received a four-year ban for anti-doping violations, the country's athletics federation said on Monday. Shustov, who retired from competition in 2017, has been suspended until 2024 for "use or attempted use of a banned substance or prohibited method" in a ruling by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last week, the federation said.

Tennis: USTA cuts 110 jobs due to COVID-19 fallout

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Monday it will eliminate 110 jobs and close its White Plains, New York office as part of belt-tightening measures brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. The USTA said in a statement the measures were necessary to combat the negative long-reaching financial effects of the pandemic and ensure that it's flagship tournament the U.S. Open will remain a world-class level event.