World Rugby Bans Hip-Drop and Knee-Drop Tackles, 1News Reports

World Rugby has officially moved to ban both the “hip-drop” and “knee-drop” tackles from global competition following mounting medical evidence regarding lower-limb trauma, 1News reported. The governing body announced that the law change for hip-drop tackles will take effect on November 1 ahead of the upcoming Nations Championship Tests, while the knee-drop prohibition applies immediately.

The Medical Evidence Driving World Rugby’s Interventions

The swift regulatory pivot arrives after a wave of catastrophic lower-limb injuries across international and domestic competitions. Planet Rugby noted that Springboks coach Felix Jones played a decisive role in lobbying for the ban after a hip-drop tackle nearly ended South African loose forward Elrigh Louw’s career in early 2005. Louw missed 10 months due to a fractured leg and severe knee ligament damage. Similarly, Wallabies winger Max Jorgensen suffered ankle ligament damage that required surgery after a tackle during a Super Rugby Pacific fixture against the Highlanders, nearly costing him a spot on the British and Irish Lions tour.

Rugby.com.au highlighted that Australia U20 rising star Treyvon Pritchard is currently recovering from a long-term injury sustained from the exact same mechanism during the U20 World Championship. The tipping point for global administrators, however, arrived following an NRL preliminary final where Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary suffered a compound fracture, compounded by high-profile injuries in other code variants such as NFL wide receiver Tyquan Thornton’s ankle fracture against Las Vegas.

https://x.com/jaredwright17/status/2107788254611202269

New Laws Ban Hip-Drop Tackles to Prevent Leg Injuries

Under the newly updated Law 9.13 regarding dangerous play, a hip-drop tackle occurs when a ball carrier is grasped from the side or behind, and the defender swings around or through before dropping their body weight directly onto the player’s legs. World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson confirmed that while such incidents are relatively rare, the severity of the resulting leg injuries forced immediate action. Commencing November 1, officials will issue at least a penalty for the infraction, with severe offenses referred directly to a judicial panel.

Tackle Type	Implementation Timeline	Primary Injury Risk	Minimum On-Field Sanction
Knee-Drop Tackle	Immediate	Upper body and cervical compression	Penalty
Hip-Drop Tackle	November 1	Compound fractures, ligament ruptures	Penalty / Judicial Referral

Concurrently, the knee-drop tackle—defined as a defender dropping to one or both knees prior to initiating contact—has been clarified under existing laws prohibiting players from tackling while off their feet. Rugby.com.au confirmed that this clarification takes effect instantly ahead of the Bledisloe Cup series. International Rugby Players Association representative Rob Kearney acknowledged the short-term friction coaches and players will face while adapting, emphasizing that protecting athletes from catastrophic physical damage remains paramount. RA Director of High Performance Peter Horne added, Both techniques pose unacceptable risks to player safety and World Rugby has acted appropriately to classify them as foul play, and that This announcement further reaffirms rugby’s commitment to player welfare and I have no doubt will be well received by teams and players in Australia and around the world.