In a bold move to prioritize player safety, the NFL made the decision to outlaw the hip-drop tackle this season. This controversial tactic, known for its potential to cause serious injuries, was already seeing a decline in occurrence during the preseason.
NFL executive V.P. Jeff Miller revealed during a media conference call that only two hip-drop tackles were spotted in the first two weeks of the preseason. The review for Week 3 was still pending, but the low numbers were encouraging for the league.
Surprisingly, neither of the hip-drop tackles were flagged by officials. However, this lack of penalties didn’t deter the NFL from their mission to eliminate this dangerous technique from the game.
Miller explained, “It really wasn’t the expectation when we went into the hip-drop tackle rule change. Rather, the goal was to get rid of that behavior.”
The decision to ban this tackle was based on the alarming statistics that showed a 20 times higher injury rate and more severe injuries when hip-drop tackles occurred. The league took action by adding specific language to the rulebook that outlined the criteria for a foul.
According to the official rulebook, a player is guilty of a foul if they use a technique that involves grabbing the runner with both hands, unweighting themselves by dropping their hips, and landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.
The crucial components of the ban include the unweighting action and the landing on the opponent’s legs. If a defender fails to meet both criteria, it would not be considered a foul. This distinction may prove challenging for officials to determine in real-time without the aid of instant replays.
Miller acknowledged this difficulty, stating, “If the officials don’t see very clearly on field the elements of the tackle, they’re not going to call it.”
Despite the lack of immediate penalties, the NFL has a plan in place to address any potential infractions post-game through warnings, education, and possibly fines.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how players adjust to the new rule and how officials handle enforcing it. One thing is for certain, the NFL is committed to creating a safer environment for all its athletes.
