With discussion about the hip drop tackle, which had been debated over the off-season but was reignited by the unfortunate injury to Mark Andrews on TNF, I thought I’d highlight that other sports are attempting to address the tackle and it’s technique.

It’s obviously not a perfect comparison but it’s still interesting to see how they address it.

VIDEO (NRL): What is and isn’t a hip drop tackle https://www.nrl.com/news/2023/05/16/what-is-and-isnt-a-hip-drop-tackle/

Reddit thread: Older examples of hip drops in the NRL https://www.reddit.com/r/nrl/comments/j15o3p/the_hip_drop_tackle/

Article: What is a hip drop tackle? NRL clarifies controversial tackling technique: https://www.sportingnews.com/au/rugby-league/news/what-is-a-hip-drop-tackle-nrl-clarifies/bjmnuia5i9fhdubyc6svzriq

They’re still working out the kinks and trying to figure out how to apply punishment consistently but for the most part the viewer base agrees that something needs to change to stop the high incidence of career-altering injuries from this type of tackle.

We’ve seen the NFL give the offense more protection in the past and we know they want to see explosive high-scoring games so maybe they won’t care too much to add another challenge for defensive players by banning this technique.

Thoughts?

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