It seems like the defender already has the ball carrier in his grasp. You can't do the hip drop unless you are already holding onto the guy. The defender then leaves his feet after the player is in the grasp. So all the hip drop is doing is perhaps saving a couple yards of forward progress. Making the hip drop illegal isn't going to stop the other player from making tackles. It will just allow the offense to make a couple more yards gained because they can't use the body weight to pull him backwards.I think you mean this
https://x.com/GehlkenNFL/status/1772285904620572936?s=20
The common thread in all those tackles is the defender leaving his feet as a technique, to use his body weight to bring the runner down. Thats a choice. It's a technique.
Not sure how NFL players suddenly becomes diving soccer players lol. If anything maybe the soccer parallel is a defender choosing to take the penalty anyway because its the only way to stop the player from advancing (professional foul).
But in terms of refs missing it, I can definitely see that, but I think that this is more a fine after review approach than a live call.
You can't do the hip drop unless you are already holding onto the guy. The defender then leaves his feet after the player is in the grasp
Exactly.
Thanks and I do agree it is not necessary for the defender in many cases to leave the ground. I just hope the refs dont just throw flags for the sake of it. I hate what they have done with a def player arm grazing a qb helmet or being pushed into qb or forward momentum. There are so many things in nfl that are getting overlegislating and it is ruining the game ! I am just worried about the all or nothing aspect to officiating , there are always plays that need referee judgement and intuition. Way way too many phantom flags these days in football and that is a bad thing!
The NFLPAs objection is not rooted in the value of the technique it is rooted in the potential confusion on the field. But, the enforcement will most likely be by post game fines and every player knows when they are engaging in the tackle because it is a technique, a decision to "unweight."
will there be some bad calls? there are always bad calls. Will guys eventually stop "unweighting" while holding on to a guy? you bet
