NFL Bans Swivel Hip-drop tackle.

[RedRamage]

https://theathletic.com/5367020/2024/03/25/nfl-hip-drop-tackle-ban/

 

Quote

If a player grabs a runner with both hands/arms while attempting to make a tackle and “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee,” then it is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down, according to the NFL press release.

 

The NFLPA was against it.

So my problems with this:
1. How easy is it going to be to determine if the hips "swiveled" or not? I guess we'll see how it plays out, but this seems like it could be very subjective and if a player gets flagged for it a few things will refs start watching that player in particular more closely?

2. I don't like that it's conditional on landing on and trapping a runner's legs. So if a defender does a hip drop trying to avoid the legs and the runner spins at the last second to try to get out of it and hey... look at that, a leg is trapped. 15 yard penalty because the runner did something the defender had no control over.

[Motown Bombers]

Guess we'll see more Kerby Joseph type tackles launching himself at knees like a missile. 

[MichiganCardinal]

My understanding is that while this is going on the books as a 15-yard penalty, the officials are going to be told that this is designed for postgame enforcement in fines, plausibly suspensions for egregious behavior. If so, I'm whatever about it because it's more of a coaching mechanism than it is something that will change the game.

If we start seeing nonsense penalties regularly called that impact the game, I'll be pissed. It feels like this is just already covered by unnecessary roughness penalties.

FWIW, the Lions proposal providing a coach with a 3rd challenge upon one successful challenge (instead of both) was also approved. 

[Hongbit]

19 minutes ago, GoBlue23 said:

Upon further review, I don't understand some of these tackles being illegal under the new rule.  This is going to be a nightmare to enforce.

 

How are defenders supposed to tackle a ballcarrier in space that is running a step ahead of them?   It doesn’t make sense.  

[KnoxP]

35 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

How are defenders supposed to tackle a ballcarrier in space that is running a step ahead of them?   It doesn’t make sense.  

Only speculation I have is grab the waist, hold on and slide down to the legs, getting dragged a few more yards in the process, if the ball carrier does not blow open the hold and keep running.  

The other thing I look forward to is the offensive player jumping in up and throwing his imaginary flag at each and every opportunity.

 

Edited March 25, 2024 by KnoxP
typo

[Motown Bombers]

Good luck tackling Gibbs in the open field now. 

[NYLion]

Can't tackle high, can't tackle low, can't tackle in the middle now. Cool, Cool, Cool.

[CMRivdogs]

Is Flag Football permitted? The new NFFL Flag Football League

[RedRamage]

16 hours ago, KnoxP said:

The other thing I look forward to is the offensive player jumping in up and throwing his imaginary flag at each and every opportunity.

Oh yes... PLEASE more of that! It's literally the only thing that makes football watchable these days!

[RedRamage]

16 hours ago, CMRivdogs said:

Is Flag Football permitted? The new NFFL Flag Football League

It sure seems like it's getting harder and harder and harder to play defense. I know this is supposed to be in the name of player safety... but if this is actually enforced on the field (and isn't just a "fine after the game" as @MichiganCardinal eluded to) I see this as being the whole "what is a catch" debacle that happened after the Calvin Johnson incident. Refs are doing to look at this differently and flag something and not others. Other refs will flag that thing but not the first. We're going to get a bunch of youtube clips of people saying: "Why is this a penalty but this one isn't?"

[Tigeraholic1]

I wonder if the penalty is reviewable? Can't seem to find that answer anywhere so I assume no.

[MichiganCardinal]

4 minutes ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

I wonder if the penalty is reviewable? Can't seem to find that answer anywhere so I assume no.

 

[MichiganCardinal]

15 minutes ago, RedRamage said:

It sure seems like it's getting harder and harder and harder to play defense. I know this is supposed to be in the name of player safety... but if this is actually enforced on the field (and isn't just a "fine after the game" as @MichiganCardinal eluded to) I see this as being the whole "what is a catch" debacle that happened after the Calvin Johnson incident. Refs are doing to look at this differently and flag something and not others. Other refs will flag that thing but not the first. We're going to get a bunch of youtube clips of people saying: "Why is this a penalty but this one isn't?"

It looks like during a conference call with reporters last week Troy Vincent "strongly implied" that it would be treated similarly to the illegal use of helmet rule, where it is more often a fine and letter penalty. ESPN.

If I had to guess, it's going to be - similarly to the use of helmet penalty - not called unless it results in an injury to a key player. That said, I also wonder if this penalty is actually going to be even all that effective at getting these out of the game. This penalty most often comes when the defender is in "chase mode", where if they don't do something to stop the ballcarrier, it will be a touchdown. If a corner has a choice between picking up a fine and (maybe) a 15-yard penalty or giving up a touchdown, they may select the former in a real-time, game-time decision. In that sense too, I don't think this will be a game-changing penalty in the way defensive holding can be. The 15 yards will come after a first down has already been picked up more often than not.

Edited March 26, 2024 by MichiganCardinal

[KnoxP]

2 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

It looks like during a conference call with reporters last week Troy Vincent "strongly implied" that it would be treated similarly to the illegal use of helmet rule, where it is more often a fine and letter penalty. ESPN.

If I had to guess, it's going to be - similarly to the use of helmet penalty - not called unless it results in an injury to a key player. ...

 

However they navigate this, I really hope this does not lead to 'fake injury' and the said injured player returns next play. This may be extreme thinking...unfortunately my head goes to soccer/LeBron type antics to get calls.  Hope not!

[MichiganCardinal]

41 minutes ago, KnoxP said:

However they navigate this, I really hope this does not lead to 'fake injury' and the said injured player returns next play. This may be extreme thinking...unfortunately my head goes to soccer/LeBron type antics to get calls.  Hope not!

With how quickly plays happen, and the "penalty" to an injured player of having to sit out the next play, I doubt it would. They'll want to do their celebration for the big play and get ready for the next rather than fake an injury. It's not like the "late" hits out of bounds where they'll go flailing into a bench to make it look like a much bigger hit than it was.

At least I hope.

[RedRamage]

2 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

With how quickly plays happen, and the "penalty" to an injured player of having to sit out the next play, I doubt it would. They'll want to do their celebration for the big play and get ready for the next rather than fake an injury. It's not like the "late" hits out of bounds where they'll go flailing into a bench to make it look like a much bigger hit than it was.

At least I hope.

I guess it depends... I mean I don't see anyone faking an injury, sitting out a play, then going back in to try to cause a defensive player to get a fine. But if a player can fake an injury and get 15 yards consistently, then maybe.

If it's just a fine if it happens in game with no injury but refs call it a penalty if there is an injury then I could potentially see it happening. Heck there's situations where it'd be a no brainer not to TRY if the tackle was even close to a hip-drop... Final seconds of the half or game... I'm running now the sideline within 50ish yards of the end zone and a guy tackles me and my leg is even slightly pinned. The clock says 0:00... I'm waiting on the ground for the trainer. Maybe I get the flag... my team gets 15 yards, that puts us in field goal range for one final play.

[KnoxP]

1 hour ago, RedRamage said:

...But if a player can fake an injury and get 15 yards consistently, then maybe...

Yes, this is what I was referring to.