One of the hottest topics among potential new rules coming to the NFL over the course of the last seasons or so has been the possibility of implementing a penalty for hip-drop tackles.
Those opposed to the creation of a new rule tend to cite how hard it would be to get consistent application, and you'd need to look no further than the frustrations on application of targeting penalties as a case study to confirm that apprehension.
The league previously shared data that led them to say that hip-drop tackles have a 25x injury risk compared to normal tackles. During the 2022 NFL playoffs Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was one of two of the league's premier players that were injured due to the controversial tackling method.
Today, the NFL Competition Committee revealed their language aimed at making the hip-drop tackle illegal.
In order for it to be a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down, the Competition Committee is proposing a definition that states a player cannot bring a ball carrier to the ground using the following methods:
a) grabs the runner with both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and
b) 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.
It seems to me we would be better off getting a handle on what targeting is and is not before we go adding a rule like this one, but that's just me.
A proposal to change kickoffs is also up for discussion, where there would be no fair catches, and the kicking team can't move until the ball is caught or lands in a specified zone while the return team can only have a max of two returners.
See the full official hip-drop proposal below, via Jonathan Jones.