The NFL owners meetings are much more than just drinking umbrella drinks in the sun every winter. Okay, let’s be honest: they’re concerned with that as well. But real business is also conducted, and the league has already revealed a few major rule changes for the upcoming season, including one submitted by the Detroit Lions.
Detroit proposed adding a third challenge if a head coach succeeds in either of his first two challenges. Previously, coaches had to convert two of their challenges to receive a third.
Detroit Lions, NFL players outraged as league bans ‘hip-drop’ tackle
On Monday, the NFL officially adopted what is being termed the new “hip drop rule.” The rule outlaws a type of tackle the NFL Competition Committee says occurred about once per game last season and resulted in an injury rate 20 times a normal tackle.
The ‘hip-drop tackle that is no longer allowed consists of three components. Here’s the specific language from the initial rule proposal:
- Grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms
- Lifts themselves off the ground (not officially listed in the rule, but emphasized by the competition committee)
- 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
The NFL Competition Committee also provided an example of these plays:
NFL players are dissatisfied with this rule change. Prior to the rule’s adoption, the NFL Players Association spoke out against it, but to no avail.
Following the rule’s implementation on Monday morning, several NFL players, including a couple of former and current Lions players, took to Twitter to express their displeasure. Let’s start with Darius Slay, who is always outspoken.
