The NFL banned the hip-drop tackle in March 2024 after data showed it was 20 to 25% more likely to cause an injury over a standard tackle. The move was intended to protect players from serious lower-body injuries.
However, after nearly two seasons, the ban seems more like a recommendation than a strict rule.
The hip-drop tackle occurs when a defender wraps up a ball carrier, rotates their hips and drops their body onto the runner’s legs.
The two latest examples come in the Oct. 26 game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles where Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome ankle injury at the hands of Eagles linebacker Zack Baun who executed a textbook hip-drop tackle, yet no flag was thrown.
Then we have the Nov. 2 game between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, in which Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels had his left arm snapped while being taken down by Seahawks Linebacker Drake Thomas
Skattebo was carted off with a dislocated ankle, fractured fibula and ruptured ligament. His rookie season is over. Daniel was down for a while before walking to the locker room with his arm being supported, where it was later diagnosed as a dislocated left elbow.
If either play was flagged, it is a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down. Players can also be fined — $17,389 for a first offense and $23,816 for a second.
The issue is that officials rarely make the call during games; instead, they review the plays afterward and issue fines retroactively.
Last season, 27 players were fined for hip-drop tackles, but only one was penalized on the field. Eleven of those fines were later rescinded. This year, the trend continues. Baun wasn’t flagged, though he’s expected to be fined.
Fans are furious. Social media erupted after Skattebo’s injury, with many demanding Baun be suspended for as long as Skattebo is sidelined. The backlash is not solely about Skattebo — the hip-drop tackle has sidelined star players before.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews missed 10 weeks last season after suffering a cracked fibula on a hip-drop tackle. Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard fractured his fibula and sprained his ankle in the 2022 playoffs on the same move. These injuries helped push the league to take action by introducing a ban.
NFL executives say the ban was necessary. “The runner is purely defenseless,” competition committee chairman Rich McKay said when the rule passed. “You’ve got to protect him.” The league analyzed 20,000 tackles and found the hip-drop caused lower-extremity injuries at a rate 20% higher than other techniques.
Still, defenders hate the rule. Many argue it is impossible to avoid the hip-drop in certain situations. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen joked on X, “Two-hand touch gone be next.” Saints defensive end Cam Jordan posted a puking emoji. Dolphins safety Jevon Holland wrote, “Breaking news: Tackling banned.”
The NFL Players Association also opposed the ban, saying it would confuse players, coaches and officials.
That confusion appears every Sunday. Even experts cannot agree on what qualifies as a “hip-drop.” Was Baun’s tackle illegal? Giants fans say yes, while The NFL says no because Skattebo was not the runner, as he did not secure the catch. That technicality may have prevented the officials from throwing a flag.
The league tried to clarify the rule this offseason. Now, grabbing the runner with one or both hands and landing on or trapping the legs counts as a foul. But enforcement still relies on postgame reviews and fines rather than immediate penalties.
That means players continue using the technique because the chance of an in-game penalty remains low.
So what’s next? The NFL says it will keep educating teams and showing video examples of illegal tackles. Until officials start consistently calling the foul on the field, the hip-drop tackle will remain a dangerous loophole, with players like Skattebo continuing to pay the price.
