ORLANDO, Fla. — The NFL began adopting rules changes Monday morning, including a ban of dangerous “hip-drop” tackles, which a league study determined are significantly more responsible for lower-body injuries than traditional tackles.
As defined in the NFL rulebook, a hip-drop tackle is when a defender grabs the runner with both hands or wraps him with both arms, and unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body. That can trap the runner’s legs at or below the knee.
The rule change was passed unanimously. The foul will result in a loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down.
Team owners, participating in the league’s annual meetings, also approved a proposal by the Detroit Lions to permit a coach a third replay challenge if successful on at least one of two previous challenges.