NFL referees support proposed hip-drop tackle rule change

National Football League referees answered today to protests over a proposal to outlaw a version of the “hip-drop tackle,” a technique the NFL claims has resulted in an injury rate that is up to 25 times higher than on tackles when it is not performed.

On a conference call before the NFL Annual Meeting, Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay says of the attempts to ban the Hip-Drop tackle: "We tried to draft it very specifically and we were quick to say, it's hard to see all the elements. So No. 1 thing is to get the…

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 21, 2024

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“As gatekeepers of football, this is something that must be forbidden in the NFL,” claimed Troy Vincent, the National Football League’s executive vice president of football operations, during a conference call with the media.

The league player association joined many current and ex-footballers in objecting to the proposal a few days ago, which needs approval from 24 chiefs to become fact. They shared that he rule would cause confusion among footballers, managers, referees and supporters.

McKay added that top priority is get a rule on the books that can be enforced at the beginning of the next week and to ban the technique in NFL.