Hip-drop tackles eliminated by competition committee at NFL owners meeting

At the NFL owner's meeting in Orlando, changes were made to how coaches use challenges and how defenders use hip-drop tackles.

BY DIGIT AL

Mar 25, 2024, 8:47 AM Updated: 9:19 am

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 07: Donald Parham Jr. #89 of the Los Angeles Chargers runs after his catch as he is tackled by Cam Jones #44 of the Kansas City Chiefs during a 13-12 loss to the Chiefs at SoFi Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Hip-drop tackles in the NFL are no more.

NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday from the NFL owner’s meeting in Orlando that the league’s competition committee approved penalizing players who execute hip-drop tackles. The league confirmed the rule changes later in the morning.

The tackles are described as when a defender “grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; 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.” If a defender is penalized for using this style of tackle, the defense will lose 15 yards and the offense will get an automatic first down. Players could also be fined by the league.

Here’s the video the NFL just showed in a press conference of what are now banned swivel hip-drop tackles (with NFL executive Jeff Miller speaking in the background). pic.twitter.com/Y4H8h6pQkW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 25, 2024

The league’s owners also approved the amount of challenges a coach could have. Previously, coaches had to correctly challenge two calls or plays to get a third challenge. Now, coaches will be awarded a third challenge if they get one of their first two correct. This rule change was presented by the Detroit Lions.