A rule no one understands: Why NFL players are frustrated with the hip-drop crackdown

The NFL says it’s protecting players, but defenders aren’t sure how they’re supposed to do their jobs anymore. Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu became the face of the league’s newest rule controversy this week after a whirlwind few days that left both players and coaches scratching their heads.

What is the swivel hip-drop tackle?

On Monday, the NFL suspended Luvu for one game following his third violation of the league’s new hip-drop tackle ban. Two days later, an appeals officer overturned the suspension and downgraded it to a $100,000 fine. For Luvu, it was less a victory than a moment of disbelief.

“Everything I worked for is kinda out there,” he said Wednesday. “My family, they see it, and also my peers are looking toward me like, ‘Oh we don’t respect Frankie Luvu because he’s a dirty [player],’ and all those lines.”

The NFL introduced the “swivel hip-drop tackle” ban in 2024, citing data that showed the move causes injuries 20 to 25 percent more often than other tackles. High-profile injuries to Mark Andrews and Chris Godwin helped fuel the ban, which owners approved unanimously. The league defines it as a three-part motion: a defender grabs a ball carrier, swings or “unweights” his body, and lands on or traps the runner’s legs.

Luvu’s violation, against Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba did not garner a flag on the field at the time. Rather, Luvu found out about it in a letter days later.

But what looks like a routine tackle to one person can look like a “hip-drop” to another, and that’s the problem. Around the Commanders’ locker room, players echoed the same sentiment: no one really knows what a hip-drop tackle is in real time.

Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner, a veteran known for textbook tackling, said defenders are trying to adjust but feel like they’re guessing.

“A lot of the time as a player, if you’re in the league and you’re doing something and nothing’s penalized, you walk away from the game thinking everything’s fine. And then you get the letter in the mail and you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s not fine,’” Wagner said. “It lets you know that everybody’s still trying to figure out what this thing is and how they’re officiating, how we can do better.”

To Luvu’s credit, the linebacker reached out directly to NFL Vice President of Policy and Rules Administration Jon Runyan to understand the rule. The two spoke Friday in what the league called an “educational meeting”.

“I just asked, ‘What are you guys looking at?’” Luvu said. “I’m under a microscope now, so I’m trying to learn. But it’s hard when the line keeps moving.”

The rollout for the ban on the move has been messy. Fewer than a handful of penalties have been called on the field this season, yet dozens of fines have been issued after review. Critics, including players, coaches, and former stars like J.J. Watt and Tom Brady, argue that the rule changes the fabric of defensive football.

Luvu, for his part, is just focused on clearing his name and moving forward. But for defenders across the league, the issue runs deeper. How can they play the game the right way when no one can agree on what “right” means? Until then, defenders will keep walking a fine line - a tackle away from being labeled dirty, fined six figures, or suspended again.

“I’m going to keep playing fast and physical,” Luvu said. “That’s what got me here. I just hope the league figures out what they want to see.”

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