World Rugby bans hip drop and knee drop tackles

The governing body cites serious leg injuries and a rise in tackles made from the knees.

In a hip drop tackle, the defender pulls the ball-carrier down with his bodyweight before dropping onto the back of his legs. It will be added to Law 9.13 on dangerous play on 1 November, with a minimum sanction of a penalty. Tackling with one or both knees on the ground was already illegal, since a player on the ground cannot make a tackle. World Rugby has issued referees with guidance on how to sanction it, in force since 5 October.

Serious leg injuries

“Once we looked at the evidence, it was clear the hip drop tackles whilst rare, could cause significant leg injuries. It was also clear that knee drop tackles were on the rise,” World Rugby chair Brett Robinson said in the governing body’s statement. He said the aim was to remove them from the game “starting this weekend”.

South Africa back-rower Elrigh Louw was a victim in early 2025, suffering a broken leg and knee ligament damage that kept him out for ten months, Planet Rugby recalls. According to the same outlet, Springboks coach Felix Jones pushed for the tackle to be outlawed. Wallabies back Max Jorgensen was sidelined for almost four months after a hip drop in Super Rugby, which required ankle ligament surgery.

A process launched in February

The decision stems from the Shape of the Game forum held in London in February. An expert group, working with Leeds Beckett University, analysed these tackles in fifteens and sevens. Former Ireland international Rob Kearney, the players’ representative on the World Rugby executive board, admitted the change “can be challenging to manage in the short term” for players, coaches and officials, but called it “the right thing to do”.

World Rugby is also working on tackle height. Since June, amateur players must tackle below the base of the sternum, a limit trialled this summer at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia.