We’re seeing more and more cases of the “hip drop tackle” in the community game. It’s a dangerous technique that can cause serious injuries — sometimes even season-ending ones. That’s why we’re calling it out and working to eliminate it from our game.
The definition of a “hip drop tackle" is: “When a ball carrier is tackled from the side or behind, and in so doing, tackler swings and/or drops their hips/body weight down onto the legs or lower limbs of the ball carrier in order to bring them to ground”
This visual guide offers an easy-to-reference overview of the hip drop tackle.
This short video provides a clear, step-by-step demonstration of the hip drop tackle in action. It is designed to support coaches, players, and officials in recognising and understanding the key elements of the technique through real-game scenarios.