What is hip-drop tackle in the NFL? Why is the league considering banning it?

Concerns about the hip-drop tackle's rising popularity in the NFL have been expressed for some time. In April, the NFL contacted representatives of the Australian National Rugby League in an effort to banish the risky tackling move from American Football. The league ultimately decided that additional information might be required before continuing the conversation.

A defensive player grabbing an offensive player, turning their body, and lowering the weight of their body on the lower legs of the opponent, catching their lower limbs in a perilous position, is known as a hip-drop tackle.

A prime example of the hip-drop tackle can be found in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game in January when former San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmy Ward's hip-drop tackle caused Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard to be forced to leave the game with a broken leg and high ankle sprain.

That same weekend, Jacksonville Jaguars defenders Arden Key and Corey Peters took down Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a hip-drop tackle, after landing on the back of the quarterback's leg. Mahomes sustained a high ankle sprain as a result.

UPDATE: The NFL has officially banned the hip-drop tackle in a unanimous vote during the league's annual meeting. While the interpretation of a hip-drop tackle upon review is slightly open, if found to be in violation of the new rules and guidelines, a 15-yard penalty will be imposed on the defensive team. In addition, the offensive team will be handed an automatic first down.

In Week 4, Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks was the most recent victim of a hip-drop tackle attempt against the New York Giants. Smith referred to the play as "dirty" and asserted that the tackling style shouldn't be used in the NFL following the game.

Why does the NFL want to put a ban on the hip-drop tackle?

The NFL is looking more closely at the legitimacy of the hip-drop tackle and considering if it should be outlawed. This was brought to light after NFL executive Jeff Miller stated two days ago that the technique increases the danger of injury by 25 times the frequency of a conventional tackle.

The horse-collar tackle, which was declared unlawful in 2005, and the body-weight rule, which went into effect five years ago, are two sorts of tackles that the NFL has previously attempted to ban by legal means. If the hip-drop tackle is finally prohibited, the modification will start to apply at the start of the next season.

The NFLPA asked the NFL not to change the rules in a statement in March, arguing that doing so would be disadvantageous for defensive players and perhaps confusing to viewers.

"...It confuses our fans, puts officials in an absurd scenario that will lead to inconsistent calls on the field, and puts defensive players in an impossible position by making any tackler unsure of what to do. We demand that the NFL rethink its decision to impose a rule that forbids the hip-drop tackle," the statement read, according to ESPN.