The NFL is reportedly “aligned” on getting hip-drop tackles out of the game, according to Judy Battista of NFL media.
While the language for the specific rule is still in discussion, the hip-drop tackle does not seem like it will be a part of the NFL for much longer.
What is a hip-drop tackle?
A hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender tackles a ball carrier from behind and lands with their full weight on the ball carrier’s ankle/leg. This happens because the defender, who has a hold on the ball carrier, drops their hips in an attempt to stop the ball carrier.
In other words, it is when a defender has a grasp on a ball carrier and tries to stop them by using their “dead weight.”
The tackles are seen as dangerous because they often result in the ball carrier’s legs ending up in an awkward position, and when having the full weight of an NFL player fall on that awkwardly positioned leg, injuries become extremely common.
Looks like the “hip drop” tackle is what got #Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson hurt.
The #NFL is expected to aggressively push to ban this style of tackling.
(@_MLFootball) pic.twitter.com/YIO4GAsbbW
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 3, 2023
Another example of a bad hip drop tackle. Jordan Travis will bounce back 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/t16G3ejgcW
— Justin (@CoachJD08) November 19, 2023
the rare horse collar hip drop combo tackle pic.twitter.com/HDavy0seDB
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 12, 2023
Hip-drop tackles are incredibly difficult to define as they can happen in many different ways. While they typically happen from behind, they can come from any angle. This is why the NFL is having a hard time coming up with verbiage for the rule, and they will likely have an even harder time enforcing the rule.
Banishment of the hip-drop tackle in the NFL took off after Cincinnati Bengals LB Logan Wilson injured Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews
The discourse around the hip-drop tackle in the NFL took off after it looked like Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews might be out for the season following a hip-drop tackle from Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson.
hip drop tackle claims another pic.twitter.com/4to3Pw2AbL
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 17, 2023
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 17, 2023
Andrews suffered a serious ankle injury in the Nov. 16 Thursday Night Football matchup, but he was able to make it back for the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh questioned whether the tackle from Wilson was necessary, and he said he attempted to have Wilson punished by sending the play into the NFL in an article from Pro Football Talk.
“It was definitely a hip-drop tackle,” Harbaugh said. “It is being discussed. It’s a tough tackle. Was it even necessary in that situation? The other one on the sideline, there’s always plays that you send in to the league to have them look at and interpret for you.”
The NFL Players Association has come out in the past in opposition to the banishment of hip-drop tackles. In an official statement, they say it puts defensive players in an impossible position.
League members of the NFL Competition Committee have indicated it is considering instituting a new playing rule prohibiting a tackling technique it described as the “hip-drop tackle.” Despite this intent, the NFL also acknowledged that they were having a difficult time defining a “hip-drop tackle.”
While the players have consistently advocated for health and safety advancements, any prohibition on the “hip-drop tackle” technique is unfair to players and unrealistic to implement. It places defensive players in an impossible position by creating indecision in the mind of any tackling player, puts officials in an unreasonable situation that will result in inconsistent calls on the field, and confuses our fans.
We call on the NFL to reconsider implementing a rule prohibiting the “hip drop tackle.”
In the specific example featuring Wilson and Andrews, it is hard to see another way in which Wilson was supposed to prevent the 6-foot-5 250-pound tight end from scoring.
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