What is a hip drop tackle Explaining why NFL banned controversial defensive play

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Tackling in the NFL is about to look a bit different than it did last season.After debate over the past few years on whether the hip-drop tackle should be banned, the league announced in March that it would, in fact, be removing the technique as a legal play. It  Justin Bour Jersey was one of multiple set to take effect in the 2024 season.The change was supported by some players, but it left others especially defenders  confused about what they can and can't do.The Sporting News has you covered on what exactly a hip-drop tackle is and why the NFL banned a version of it.2024 NFL RANKINGS: | | | | What is a hip-drop tackle?According to a pre s release from a hip-drop tackle "occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier and rotates or swivels his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto ball carriers legs during the tackle."It became controversial over time as more players were being injured from the same tackling technique. However, it should be made clear that the league specifically banned the "swivel" hip-drop tackle, which isn't used nearly as often as the normal version.NEW NFL RULES IN 2024: | | | NFL competition chairman Rick McKaythat the rule change doesn't ban the hip-drop tackle in general, just if the defender "rotates or swivels" the hips of  Jeff Locke Jersey the ball carrier.When determining if a defender should be punished for a hip-drop tackle, officials will review two actions: If the defender "Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms"and also "Unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runners leg(s) at or below the knee."Examples of the now-banned style of tackling were shown in an NFL pre s conference in March.Heres the video the NFL just showed in a pre s conference of what are now banned swivel hip-drop tackles (with NFL executive Jeff Miller speaking in the background).  Tom Peli sero (@TomPeli sero Jazz Chisholm Jersey ) The league's 32 team owners unanimously voted on the ban. Moving forward, a swivel hip-drop tackle will result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down for the offense.League representatives have said they'll continue to provide context to teams on what is and isn't banned so they can adjust to the change.Why did the NFL ban hip-drop tackles?NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller previously said that 15 players mi sed time last season because of the now-illegal technique  the reason it's banned is simply because of the injury risk it causes.In its release about the rule change, the NFL said it analyzed over 20,000 tackles over the 2022 and 2023 seasons and came to the conclusion that the hip-drop tackle causes "lower extremity injuries" 20 times more often than other tackling techniques.One recent example of how the method has harmed a player is with the Ravens' Mark Andrews. In November 2023, Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson brought Andrews to the ground with a hip-drop tackle that left him injured afterward. Mark Andrews - Video suggests high ankleAnkle didnt bend that severely, but the prolonged force while its being dragged suggests at least moderate severity.Not impo sible, but would be surprised if he returns. Deepak Chona, MD. SportsMedAnalytics (@SportMDAnalysis) Andrews mi sed the next two months of Baltimore's season after undergoing surgery for a fractured fibula and ligament damage. Andrews said later on that he was happy about the league banning the swivel hip-drop tackle and that "defenses can find a way to get around that.""Taking that tackle out of the game is not a bad thing," Andrews said Cameron Maybin Jersey ."You look at the last five years, there's been a lot of big injuries with that. So just bringing the awarene s to that type of tackle, I think is good."Andrews later returned to action for the Ravens in the AFC Championship game, where they fell to the Chiefs.The banning of the hip-drop tackle in March, mostly the ones doing the tackling themselves  defenders.NFL players reacting to the league banning the hip-drop tackle...  Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) The NFL Players A sociation released a statement about it as well, saying the change would "cause confusion" for everybody, whether players, coaches, officials, or fans.Our statement on the swivel hip-drop tackle.  NFLPA (@NFLPA) It remains to be seen how much controversy the rule change will cause within games this season. Teams have had since March to adjust how their defenders tackle, but there will undoubtedly be more debate at some points about Bryan Holaday Jersey  whether something should or shouldn't be considered a hip-drop tackle.