Roger Goodell Finds Inspiration From Rugby as NFL Proposes ‘Rule Change’ on Hip Drop Tackle Ban Per NFL Insider, as NFLPA’s Argues Against “Outlaw”

Will the hip-drop tackle be completely banned from the league? The NFL game season could look different from the next time, as a series of significant rule changes might take place soon. The potential change might be for hip-drop tackle and kick-off.

The tackle in question is a contentious one in football, involving the defender wrapping their arms around the ball carrier and then dropping them on their hips, which can trap the opponents’ legs and feet, causing a serious injury. This gameplay has already caused harm to several players and teams, so now will the NFL look into it? An NFL insider revealed the league’s solid plan on the issue.

Here is the solid development on the Hip Drop Tackle issue

In a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero joined and discussed the proposed NFL rule changes for next season. The NFL competition committee is set to present rule changes to the league’s 32 owners for voting at the upcoming owners’ meeting. Pelissero informed that one significant change being discussed is the prohibition of the swivel hip drop tackle, which many want removing from the game due to safety concerns. He expressed, “….everyone wants it out of the game at a league level, at a team level, whenever the union has said in the past, and doubled down again in the statement yesterday, saying they oppose any efforts to Outlaw it and there’s multiple reasons for that.”

Citing the reasons, Pelissero mentioned inconsistent enforcement and player fines. The insider gave a backdrop of the tackle’s history, saying, “The hip drop, the swivel hip drop tackle,….now evolved out of taking the head out of the game. It evolved from Pete Carroll and Hawk tackling that’s 10, 12, 15 years old and it came from rugby.” The technique evolved from the rugby-inspired Hawk tackling method, focusing on head avoidance and body positioning. However, concerns arose as players began dropping their weight onto opponents’ legs.

He mentioned that the NFL plans to explain how these tackles are “also going to be a penalty and a fine when they began to Outlaw this style of tackling in rugby. They actually started with fines not suspensions in terms of International Rugby leagues and so you could see guys getting fined as opposed to penalties within the game, as opposed to suspensions. This is all part of the conversation usually within the league when Roger Goodell, when the competition committee, wants something they end up getting it and so they’re saying that it’s three components: it’s the grab, it’s the around the side; and it’s dropping your weight on the back of the ball carrier’s legs.”

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He concluded the topic by mentioning that the enforcement of this rule may start with stricter penalties in preseason games, gradually normalizing by the regular season. Overall, the league is expected to push through this rule change, possibly implementing it before the fall of 2024. The NFL is determined to ban the controversial hip-drop tackle because it causes a significantly higher injury rate compared to a regular tackle, estimated to be at least 20 times higher. Besides that, there are other proposals from the competition committee.

What are the other proposals?

The league is planning to update kickoff in the hope of increasing return rates while minimizing concussions. These proposed changes include eliminating fair catches and moving touchbacks to the 35-yard line. Additionally, teams might be allowed to use a practice squad quarterback as an emergency third QB, which is currently restricted.

The league is also considering adding two reviewable plays: whether a passer is out of bounds or down by contract before passing, and if the game clock has expired before a snap. Furthermore, there’s a discussion about expanding rules against crackback blocks to include players moving beyond the center to block a defender or below the knee. So, it remains to be seen what’s in store for the new “potentially changed” NFL game season.