NFL reportedly bans the ‘hip-drop’ tackle over objection from NFLPA

The NFL has banned the “hip-drop” tackle, according to multiple reports on Monday. NFL team owners on Monday unanimously approved the rule to ban players from using a swivel technique to tackle an opponent.

A violation will result in a 15-yard penalty and could ultimately result in fines for players.

The league’s competition committee had proposed a rule to penalize the tackle, which league executive Jeff Miller said increases risk of injury by 25 times the rate of a standard tackle and was used 230 times last season, which resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries. The committee views those tackles as being similar to horse collar tackles that were banned before the 2005 season.

The NFLPA was against the rule change, with executive director Lloyd Howell and players on the executive committee saying before the Super Bowl that they don’t believe it can be fairly enforced.

The hip-drop tackle is defined as any time a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms, and then swivels or drops his hips or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg below the knees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.