ORLANDO, Fla. — Three new rule changes were approved at the NFL Annual Meeting on Monday, with one placing an apparent emphasis on player safety.
The NFL approved a rule banning hip-drop tackles. Here’s the official wording from the league:
“It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
“(a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and
“(b) 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.”
A penalty will result in a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
The NFL Players Association released a statement opposing the ban two weeks ago, calling it “unfair to players and unrealistic to implement.”
“It places defensive players in an impossible position by creating indecision in the mind of any tackling player, puts officials in an unreasonable situation that will result in inconsistent calls on the field, and confuses our fans,” the NFLPA included in its statement.
Patriots linebacker and defensive captain Ja’Whaun Bentley was not pleased with the change, taking to Twitter to say, “Eliminate the CHOP BLOCK too if we care so much about Player Safety.”
He also tweeted:
“*No HorseCollar
*No Ducking the Head
*No Hip Drop
*No Slamming
*No Big Hits on Defenseless Receiver
Y’all must not have had to tackle these dudes before”
“Be Safe Not Soft.”
He concluded his tweets with, “Add it to the List of Ways to Get Fined.”
Eliminate the CHOP BLOCK too if we care so much about Player Safety. https://t.co/t616LhsCJQ
— JB (@NVBentley33) March 25, 2024
*No HorseCollar
*No Ducking the Head
*No Hip Drop
*No Slamming
*No Big Hits on Defenseless Receiver
😂Y’all must not have had to tackle these dudes before— JB (@NVBentley33) March 25, 2024
Be Safe Not Soft
— JB (@NVBentley33) March 25, 2024
The NFL also granted a third challenge to coaches if they are successful on at least one of its previous two challenges.
A third rule by the competition committee amends Rule 14, Section 5, Article 2, to allow for an
enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession in a situation
where there are fouls by both teams.
