Chiefs LB Nick Bolton receives punishment for breaking a rule the NFL is cracking down hard on
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton has been fined $16,883 for performing a hip-drop tackle on Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. during Kansas City's 26-25 Week 2 victory over Cincinnati.
Bolton did not draw a penalty for the tackle, but after review this past week the NFL deemed it a hip-drop. Three other players were also fined for hip-drop tackles during Week 2, neither of which were flagged. Bolton's instance occurred with 19 seconds to go in the first quarter on a short 9-yard completion from quarterback Joe Burrow to All.
The league is cracking down on hip-drop tackles, officially making them illegal this past offseason. NFL Operations defines a hip-drop tackle as a defender wrapping up a ball carrier and rotating or swiveling his hips, unweighting himself and dropping onto the ball carrier’s legs during the tackle.
If an official deems that a player has committed one, it is to result in a 15-yard penalty against the defense and an automatic first down. It was a controversial rule change, party because it's tough for officials to identify hip-drop tackles. That has been proven true thus far given that no one has been flagged for the violation.
As for Bolton specifically, he was in a tough spot as he chased All from behind and made a diving tackle. Bolton's form on the tackle was good and he was dragged a bit before All went down. Bolton's only other option was to not attempt the tackle at all, which would have resulted in a much larger gain and possibly even a touchdown.
Like the officials, defenders are in an almost impossible position with this. There are obvious hip-drop tackles, but many are just too subjective. Unfortunately, the NFL has this issue with more than one of its rules, such as pass interference and what exactly defines a catch. The definition of what a hip-drop tackle is will likely remain frustrating for the foreseeable future.
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