Ravens: John Harbaugh Explains How Hip-Drop Tackle Ban Won't Affect Defenders

Baltimore Ravens v Cincinnati Bengals
(Photo : Andy Lyons/Getty Images) CINCINNATI, OHIO - John Harbaugh, the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, during their game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The consensus opinion on the hip-drop tackle ban to be implemented by the National Football League this 2024 season is that it will only put defenders at a disadvantage.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh has a differing opinion, though.

To him, it is high time that such a technique be banned from the league.

It is easy to tell where Harbaugh is coming from with his take. 

His player, Mark Andrews, was severely injured because of such play last season against the Cincinnati Bengals. Andrews was later diagnosed with a fractured fibula and ligament damage.

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Harbaugh calls it a "bad play" and insists the league can survive without it, as they did a hundred years ago.

"When did you ever hear about the hip-drop tackle until like two years ago, three years ago, right?" he said.

"That's because it was discovered, probably, in rugby and started being executed as a standalone technique. It's a three-part movement, [and] you've got to execute that play. You've got to be close enough to that ball carrier to actually get him around the hips, pull him close to yourself, swing your hips through and drop on the back of his legs."

The new hip-drop tackle rule explained

The removal of hip-drop tackle in the NFL was announced last month.

The change was made after the league's study of more than 20,000 tackles concluded that tackles are the cause of lower extremity injuries.

The move causes injuries 20 times higher than other tackles.

Under the new rule, a team that employs such a tackle will be penalized with a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.

The player could also get fined.

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