The NFL has made numerous adjustments to its rules in recent years in order to best protect its own players. There could be another change in this regard soon.
At the NFL owners’ meeting on Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell revealed that officials are currently discussing banning the hip drop tackle. The league boss would obviously welcome such a step.
“I think we should all work on getting it out of the game,” demanded the 64-year-old on “Pro Football Talk” and immediately gave the reason for this. “You see how many times this season it escalated when it came into action. The injuries can be very devastating.”
An increased number of injuries as a result of a hip drop tackle can also be noticed across the board. “We’ve seen it happen not just at the NFL level; it happens at other levels as well. That’s why we need to work hard to eliminate it in the spring,” Goodell continued.
To make a decision, the NFL reportedly collected extensive data regarding hip drop tackles. The frightening finding: According to NFL CEO Jeff Miller, the risk of injury increases by 25 percent when a defensive player resorts to this method.
NFL: Voices for hip drop tackle ban are getting louder
For this reason, Miller spoke out in favor of banning the hip drop tackle at a league meeting in October. “It is unforgiving behavior and we must try to define it and eliminate it.”
Back then, Rich McKay explained what makes the controversial move so dangerous for ball carriers. “What happens in the hip drop is that the defender circles the runner, tackles him, then shifts his weight and falls to the side of one leg, rather than the ankle or knee,” reported the chairman of the NFL’s competition committee.
There is also growing dissatisfaction among coaches and players that the hip drop tackle is still allowed. “It’s a dirty play. There’s no place for that in this sport and hopefully something happens,” said Geno Smth, the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, two months ago.
After his player was brought down by a hip drop in the match against the New York Giants (24:3), Hawks coach Pete Carroll also called for a ban because this play is “so dangerous”.