Over the past few years, the “hip-drop” tackle has become one of the more controversial aspects of the NFL game with some insisting the play is dangerous and should be legislated out of the game while others insist it’s just a part of football. But it seems like the NFL is moving toward banning the play.
According to a report from Judy Battista of the NFL Network, the NFL’s competition committee is working toward a rule that will get rid of the controversial “hip drop” tackle from the game.
“On hip drop tackles, the committee is still working on getting the right language for a rule, but a source said they are ‘aligned’ on getting it out of the game,” Battista wrote in a post on X, the social media website that was formerly known as Twitter.
On hip drop tackles, the committee is still working on getting the right language for a rule, but a source said they are “aligned” on getting it out of the game.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) February 25, 2024
Obviously, this would be a major move as it would considerably change the way defenders are able to tackle ball carriers, especially from behind.
The play has led to a few high-profile injuries over the years, including the injury to Mark Andrews against the Cincinnati Bengals this season as well as Tony Pollard’s fracture against the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. It seems like the league is trying to prevent those sorts of injuries in the future.
