NFL owners ban hip-drop tackle, despite players' objections

March 25 (UPI) -- NFL team owners voted to ban the hip-drop tackle from games Monday at the league's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

The NFL competition committee proposed the measure, among other rule changes. The league adopted three proposals.

In another, teams now will have a protected third challenge if they get one of their first two challenges correct. Previously, teams needed to correctly win their first two challenges to be granted a third.

And the league will allow enforcement of a major foul by the offense before a change of possession in a situation in which both teams commit penalties.

The hip-drop tackle proposition was the most controversial. The competition committee defined the play by describing a defender grabbing a runner with both hands or wrapping the runner with both arms and "unweighting 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."

Hip-drop tackles will now result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down.

The majority of current and former NFL players to speak publicly about banning the hip-drop tackle opposed the decision. On Monday, several of those players again spoke out.

"Breaking news: tackling banned," Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland wrote on X.

Veteran defensive end Calais Campbell, a former Defensive Player of the Year, told reporters last month that the tackle should be allowed.

"A lot of rules that were put in place over the last 10-plus years that made the game a lot safer were big adjustments for players," Campbell said, according to Pro Football Talk.

"I feel like this particular rule change, I don't understand how you can police it the right way and allow us to do our job."

Hip-drop tackles led to several injuries this season. Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews sustained a cracked fibula and ankle ligament injury in November after Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson brought him down with a hip-drop tackle.

Andrews told reporters at the time that he didn't believe Wilson injured him on purpose.

"It kind of was just an unfortunate event," Andrews said. "I'm just going to let everybody else do their thing. If they want to ban the tackle, fine. I'm going to go hard no matter what. I don't blame the guy. He was just playing hard."

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith were among other players injured by hip-drop tackles.

NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said last month that research found hip-drop tackles resulted in an injury rate 20 to 25 times greater than other tackles. The NFLPA announced last week that players opposed the rule change and wanted the league to reconsider implementation.

"The players oppose any attempt by the NFL to implement a rule prohibiting a 'swivel hip-drop' tackle,'" the union said Wednesday. "While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials and especially, for fans."