Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh sounded off on the hip-drop sort out method when he was requested whether or not there was a problem to educating correct tackling.
The NFL determined to ban the method throughout the annual assembly, amongst different adjustments. It drew numerous blowback from the gamers, however Harbaugh was within the camp that supported the sort out ban.
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Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh appears to be like on throughout the second quarter of the sport towards the Miami Dolphins at M&T Financial institution Stadium on Dec. 31, 2023 in Baltimore. (Todd Olszewski/Getty Photos)
“When did you ever hear concerning the hip-drop sort out till like two years in the past, three years in the past, proper? That’s as a result of it was found, in all probability, in rugby and began being executed as a standalone method,” Harbaugh mentioned. “It’s a three-part motion, [and] you’ve acquired to execute that play. You’ve acquired to be shut sufficient to that ball provider to truly get him across the hips, pull him near your self, swing your hips via and drop on the again of his legs.
“Should you’re that shut, wrap him up, sort out him and take him to the bottom, like Ray Lewis used to do and everyone did for 100 years earlier than that. However you’re speaking a couple of sort out that the ball provider has no technique of escape from; he can’t escape. So, once you drop down on the again of his legs, it’s a mass … And it’s 25 instances extra prone to have a critical harm.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media throughout the NFL Mix on the Indiana Conference Middle on Feb. 27, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Stacy Revere/Getty Photos)
“So, it’s actually a nasty play, and it wanted to be out. And guys are going to sort out simply nice with out the quote-unquote hip-drop sort out, as a result of they tackled simply nice with out it for 100 years of soccer earlier than that, once you by no means noticed it, actually.”
The controversial sort out, the place a defender wraps the ball provider with their arms or arms, after which drops their hips, inflicting the opposite participant’s legs and toes to get trapped, has been a sizzling subject across the league.
The sort out has brought on accidents to quite a few gamers, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has led the best way for the rule to be voted on.
One of many most important examples getting used for the hip-drop is former San Francisco 49ers security Jimmie Ward’s sort out throughout the 2022 postseason towards then-Dallas Cowboys working again Tony Pollard. Ward’s sort out compelled Pollard to endure an ankle harm that finally wanted surgical procedure to restore.
Mark Andrews, #89 of the Baltimore Ravens, is tackled by Logan Wilson, #55 of the Cincinnati Bengals, throughout the first quarter of the sport at M&T Financial institution Stadium on Nov. 16, 2023 in Baltimore. (Patrick Smith/Getty Photos)
Baltimore Ravens tight finish Mark Andrews was additionally a sufferer of the hip-drop sort out this season. He suffered a major harm towards the Cincinnati Bengals, and it price him most of his 2023 season.
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Since then, the NFL has discovered 105 hip-drop tackles out of 20,000 tackles reviewed since 2022, per Professional Soccer Speak. They’ve additionally discovered the sort out will increase the chance of harm 25 instances the usual sort out harm fee.
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