FOOTBALL

Cardinals name female coach to camp position — The Arizona Cardinals hired Jen Welter to coach inside linebackers through their upcoming training camp and preseason. The Cardinals said Welter is believed to be the first woman to hold a coaching position of any kind in the NFL. Welter played running back and special teams in 2014 for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League, becoming the first woman to hold a nonkicking position for a men’s professional sports league. Welter coached linebackers and special teams for the Revolution last season, becoming the first woman to coach in a men’s pro football league.

NFL close to new ball inspection rules — The NFL is preparing to send out instructions to game officials and teams explaining new rules for inspecting footballs. Two people familiar with the league’s plans said Monday that proper inflation of the footballs will be documented as part of the new policy. Among the details being considered for the new policy: having game officials appointed by the referee inspect the 48 footballs for each game more than two hours before kickoff. In the past, the referee inspected the footballs. Also under consideration is checking pressure readings for every ball before the game and then again at halftime.

Seau’s family still wants to speak — The family of the late Junior Seau will not disrupt the Hall of Fame ceremonies on Aug. 8 despite its disagreement with a policy preventing live remarks during a posthumous induction, their lawyer said Monday. Steve Strauss, legal counsel to the Seaus, said in an email Monday night that the family “does not want this issue to become a distraction to Junior’s accomplishments and legacy or those of the other inductees.” Seau, who killed himself 2012, will be saluted with a video presentation in which his daughter, Sydney, will speak. Hall policy does not allow for live speeches during a posthumous induction.

TRACK AND FIELD

Court blocks hormone rules for female athletes — The Court of Arbitration for Sport has suspended track and field rules governing female athletes who have high level of male hormones. The rules were introduced in 2011, after South African 800-meter runner Caster Semenya was sidelined for almost a year after winning the 2009 world title when she was 18. The court says its interim ruling clears Indian sprinter Dutee Chand to compete and gives track’s governing body until July 24, 2017, to present new scientific evidence. The world governing body’s rules on hyperandrogenism— or the presence of high levels of testosterone — will be declared void if no evidence is presented by the deadline.

SOCCER

U.S. sets World Cup qualifying schedule — The United States will host Aruba or St. Vincent and the Grenadines at St. Louis on Nov. 13 in the Americans’ opening qualifier for the 2018 World Cup. Seeking their eighth straight World Cup appearance, the Americans are at Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 17, then play at the Guatemala-Antigua and Barbuda on March 25, 2016 before hosting the winner of that series on March 29. The Americans play at Aruba or St. Vincent on Sept. 2, 2016, then close the fourth round at home against Trinidad on Sept. 6. The top two nations in the group advance to the six-team regional finals for North and Central America and the Caribbean, which will produce three qualifiers for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Longtime Chelsea star Drogba goes to Montreal — Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is headed to Major League Soccer and the Montreal Impact. Drogba recently ended his second spell at Chelsea, where he won the English league title last season. The 37-year-old Ivory Coast forward is expected to join the Impact later this week after receiving his international transfer certificate and work visa. Drogba scored 163 goals and won four Premier League titles in two stints with Chelsea, and he is the Ivory Coast’s career leading scorer with 65 goals in 104 international games.

2 women’s national team players to retire — The U.S. Soccer Federation formally announced Monday that midfielders Shannon Boxx and Lauren Holiday will retire from the national team following a victory tour to celebrate the Women’s World Cup title. U.S. Soccer also said that Boxx, 38, will also retire immediately from the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League. A central midfielder, Boxx has 27 goals in 191 international appearances. Holiday, 27, has said she wants to focus on having a family. She is married to Jrue Holiday, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. Holiday has 24 goals in 130 appearances with the national team.

EQUESTRIAN

Olympic champion has doping ban lifted — The International Equestrian Federation cleared Olympic jumping champion Steve Guerdat to compete after lifting a provisional suspension in a horse doping case. The FEI says Guerdat and his legal team presented evidence at a preliminary hearing “which suggests the likelihood of food contamination.” Guerdat had been provisionally suspended for two months. Two of his horses tested positive for morphine, a controlled medication, and two banned substances at a competition in May.

— From wire reports