Owners at the annual league meeting in Orlando on Monday passed a trio of rules changes for 2024. One impacts players on the field.
After the competition committee unanimously recommended banning what is called a “hip-drop” tackle, owners agreed and voted to ban that type of tackle in 2024. Such a tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty against the defense and fines for the player.
There are two elements to this sort of tackling technique.
- The player grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms.
- The player unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg or legs at or below the knees.
The NFLPA came out publicly against the potential ban, decrying it for the confusion it would cause for players, coaches, officials and fans.
However, the league has wanted to get it out of the game. NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent explained.
“The greatest asset for any athlete is durability and availability,” Vincent said last week. “When you have a play that has a 20-25 times the injury rate, it doesn’t allow you to fulfill your dreams.”
We will see if this becomes a problem for how games are officiated and played.
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