Orlando (Special to NFLNewsbyZennie62.com) – The 2024 NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando at the J.W. Marriott was the focus of a controversial decision. The NFL Competition Committee voted to drop what is called the “Hip Drop Tackle”.
The Hip Drop Tackle is done when a player “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.”
In all, here were the rules approved by the committee:
1. By Detroit; amends Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1, to protect a club’s ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge.
5. By 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.
By Competition Committee; amends Rule 12, Section 2, to eliminate a potentially dangerous tackling technique.
The last sentence refers to the Hip Drop Tackle.
2024 NFL Playing Rules Decisions
Here’s the details on the rules:
2024 NFL PLAYING RULES PROPOSAL NO.1
Amend Rule 15, Section 1, Article 1 (new language underlined, deleted language struck through):
SECTION 1 INITIATING A REPLAY REVIEW
ARTICLE 1. COACH CHALLENGES. Each team is permitted a minimum of two challenges that will initiate Instant Replay reviews:
The Head Coach can initiate a challenge by throwing a red flag onto the field of play before the next legal snap or kick.
A team that commits a foul that prevents the next snap can no longer challenge the previous play. The non-fouling team can still challenge the previous play, and both teams can benefit from the review.
The Head Coach may challenge on-field rulings listed in Section 3, except for those plays that only the Replay Official can challenge (Article 2).
Each challenge requires an available team timeout. A team that is out of timeouts, or has used all its available challenges, may not attempt to initiate a challenge.
A team that initiates a challenge when the team is not permitted to challenge will be charged a team timeout.
Penalty: For initiating a challenge when a team has exhausted itstimeouts:Loss of 15 yards enforced as a foul between downs.
If a challenge is unsuccessful, the team will be charged a timeout.
A team will be permitted a third challenge if it is successful on at least one both of its challenges. A fourth challenge will not be permitted.
Submitted by Detroit
Effect: Protects a club’s ability to challenge a third ruling following one successful challenge.
Reason: Integrity of the Game.
2024 NFL PLAYING RULES PROPOSAL NO. 5
Amend Rule 14, Section 5, Article 2 (new language underlined, deleted language struck through):
SECTION 5 FOULS BY BOTH TEAMS (DOUBLE FOULS)
ARTICLE 2. DOUBLE FOUL WITH A CHANGE OF POSSESSION. If there is a double foul during a down in which there is a change or changes of possession, including if one of the fouls is a post-possession foul by Team B during a scrimmage kick, the team last gaining possession will keep the ball after enforcement for its foul, provided it did not foul prior to last gaining possession (“clean hands”).
Exceptions:
If Team A fouls during a kickoff, punt, safety kick, fair catch kick, or field goal attempt prior to the change of possession, Team B may elect to replay the down at the previous spot.
If a safety results from the enforcement of a foul by Team B, the down is replayed at the previous spot.
If both teams foul after the last change of possession (double foul after change of possession), or the offense commits an unnecessary roughness or an unsportsmanlike conduct foul before the change of possession, the penalties are offset, and the team last in possession shall retain the ball at the spot where its foul would be enforced if it was the only foul. If the spot is normally a touchback, the ball is placed on the 20-yard line, or the 25- yard line if the impetus was from a free kick. If it is normally a safety, the ball is placed on the one-yard line. On kicking plays, if Team A fouled prior to the change of possession, Team B shall also have the option in (1) above.
If the team last in possession does not have “clean hands” when it establishes possession, the penalties offset, and the down is replayed at the previous spot.
Submitted by Competition Committee
Effect: Allows 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. Currently major fouls (ex. unnecessary roughness) by the offense in this situation are ignored.
Reason: Consistency with an effort to enforce all major fouls. Competitive equity.
2024 PLAYING RULE PROPOSAL NO.8
Amend Rule 12, Section 2, adding a new Article 18 (new language underlined, deleted language struck through):
ARTICLE 18. HIP-DROP TACKLE. It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground:
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.
Penalty: For a Hip-Drop Tackle: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Submitted by Competition Committee and Health & Safety Advisory Committee
Effect: Eliminates a potentially dangerous tackling technique.
Reason: Player Safety.
Reactions To The NFL’s Decision To Eliminate The Hip-Drop Tackle
"The officials have never been trained to look for a hip drop tackle before..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 25, 2024
They have no way to practice it & the first time they're gonna be seeing it is in games..
I think we'll see a ton fines in the preseason but when we get to September you'll see it called almost never"… pic.twitter.com/36N82YZqfw
Former NFL Player, now media personality Emmanuel Acho, says a hip-drop tackle is “just a tackle”.
There’s no such thing as a “hip drop tackle.”
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) March 25, 2024
A “hip drop tackle” is just a …TACKLE! pic.twitter.com/QOhyxa09St
What do you think?