World Rugby has moved to stamp out two dangerous tackling techniques blamed for causing serious leg injuries, with the governing body officially outlawing the controversial “hip drop” tackle and issuing fresh guidance on the increasingly common “knee drop”.
The crackdown will come as welcome news to players and supporters concerned about player safety, following growing evidence that the techniques can result in devastating lower-leg injuries.
From 1 November, the hip drop tackle will be specifically included under Law 9.13, which deals with dangerous tackling. Players found guilty will face a minimum sanction of a penalty.
A hip drop occurs when a tackler uses his bodyweight to pull a ball-carrier towards the ground before landing on the player’s legs from behind.
The issue has particular resonance in South Africa after Springbok loose forward Elrigh Louw was sidelined for around 10 months after suffering serious injuries to his left leg following a hip-drop tackle. Louw damaged knee ligaments and suffered a broken leg in the incident.
World Rugby has also issued new guidance to match officials regarding the “knee drop”, which came into effect on 5 October.
The technique involves a defender dropping onto one or both knees before making contact with the ball-carrier. While the action is already covered by existing laws prohibiting players from making tackles while on the ground, officials have now been given clearer instructions on how to identify and sanction offenders.
The changes follow research commissioned after World Rugby’s Shape of the Game meeting in February, with Leeds Beckett University analysing both tackling techniques in sevens and 15-a-side rugby.
World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson said the research left the governing body with little choice but to act.
“Once we looked at the evidence, it was clear the hip drop tackles, while rare, could cause significant leg injuries. It was also clear that knee drop tackles were on the rise,” Robinson said.
“Protecting player welfare is at the heart of everything that World Rugby does and once we’d reviewed the analysis we’ve acted quickly to ensure that dangerous tackles of this nature are removed from the game.”
The new measures are expected to put greater responsibility on defenders to ensure that tackles are completed safely, while giving match officials a clearer framework to deal with techniques that place players at unnecessary risk.
For players such as Louw, who have endured lengthy spells on the sidelines after serious injuries, the move could not come soon enough.
