CNN
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NFL homeowners formally voted to ban the ‘hip-drop sort out’ from the game on Monday, after an annual league assembly in Florida.
The sort out has lengthy been a subject of debate and was cited as the rationale behind a number of accidents within the NFL.
In accordance with the NFL, the hip-drop sort out in query includes a swivel approach wherein a participant “grabs the runner with each fingers or wraps the runner with each arms” and “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or decrease physique, touchdown on and trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or under the knee.”
From subsequent season, the sort out will end in a 15-yard penalty and an automated first down, the league introduced.
Nonetheless, not everyone seems to be proud of the choice.
“Simply quick ahead to the belts with flags on them,” former three-time NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months JJ Watt stated on X, previously often known as Twitter, in response to the information.
Miami Dolphins security Jevon Holland additionally criticized the choice, posting on X: “Breaking information: Tackling Banned.”
Wealthy McKay, chair of the NFL Competitors Committee, defended the rule change.
“Now we have an obligation from a well being and security standpoint to guard gamers when there’s unreasonable threat of harm,” he stated throughout a press convention Monday.
“And on this one, there’s pure information that it’s an unreasonable threat of harm. In order that’s why we modified the rule.
“We made lots of enjoying rule proposals and adjustments over the 12 months on well being and security. And typically, they’re checked out as if you’re making the sport softer. I simply don’t agree with that in any respect. I consider you’re making an attempt to make the sport safer.”
Baltimore Ravens star Mark Andrews was one sufferer of the sort out final season, struggling a critical ankle harm after being introduced down by the controversial approach in November.
Earlier this 12 months, Andrews stated he didn’t blame the participant who tackled him and wouldn’t weigh in on the dialog over whether or not or to not ban the approach.
“It sort of was simply an unlucky occasion,” he stated. “I’m simply going to let all people else do their factor. In the event that they need to ban the sort out, positive. I’m going to go laborious it doesn’t matter what. I don’t blame the man. He was simply enjoying laborious.”
The league additionally voted for 2 different adjustments throughout Monday’s assembly, firstly “to guard a membership’s capability to problem a 3rd ruling following one profitable problem” and secondly “to permit for an enforcement of a serious foul by the offense previous to a change of possession in a scenario the place there are fouls by each groups.”