Modified Horse Collar Tackle

[guag]

Realistically, though, if you pull a player down from the side by his collar and slam into his legs, the risk of injury is just as high if not higher. The leg is not meant to bend sideways at the knee.

I was against the horse-collar tackle because if an offensive player is racing away from you and you can only get one hand on their collar, how else can you stop them immediately? It destroyed Roy Williams' game because he could not adjust to the rule. However, I do see the safety aspect of it, and allowing the "side horse collar" like was used on Dez is just as much of a safety issue.

The problem with banning either move is that the offensive player is usually trying to hold off the defender with a stiff-arm to try to keep him from making the tackle, so the only move left to secure the tackle is jerking the offensive player down, which usually pulls the defender into the offensive player's legs.

Another problem is that you put too much interpretation in the hands of the officials. Banning the tackle that was used against Dez would be even tougher to officiate than the horse collar ban. Would it only be called if the defender grabbed the collar and then went to the ground or when a defender grabs anywhere and goes to the ground?

Very well said, and nicely sums up exactly what I was thinking. Although the tackle on Dez wasn't technically a horsecollar tackle, it sure looked to me like it had even more potential to cause injury than the "traditional" grab-from-the-back-of-the-collar variety. At least our knees actually bend in the same direction that the player is being pulled with a horsecollar.

Don't get me wrong, a regular ol' horsecollar is dangerous and should be illegal. But I think that for consistency, the league should consider looking into generalizing the horsecollar rule to account for upper body tackles where the ball carrier is pulled down sideways.

The rule was updated this year.. I'm pretty sure that is a horsecollar using the new rule:
ARTICLE 15. HORSE-COLLAR TACKLE
No player shall grab the inside collar of the back or the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, or grab the jersey at the name plate or above, and pull the runner toward the ground.

Ah, well perhaps it is a penalty under the current rules after all.

 

[dallasdave]

Very well said, and nicely sums up exactly what I was thinking. Although the tackle on Dez wasn't technically a horsecollar tackle, it sure looked to me like it had even more potential to cause injury than the "traditional" grab-from-the-back-of-the-collar variety. At least our knees actually bend in the same direction that the player is being pulled with a horsecollar.

Don't get me wrong, a regular ol' horsecollar is dangerous and should be illegal. But I think that for consistency, the league should consider looking into generalizing the horsecollar rule to account for upper body tackles where the ball carrier is pulled down sideways.



Ah, well perhaps it is a penalty under the current rules after all.

 

[chagus]

A tackle should be a tackle. Play football. It's aggressive and the strong survive. Genetics. Work. Desire. It's all a part of athletics, in general. Who was that dude... Used to a QB then... Reviver/ returner.. Skyler? Glass? Meh... U get the point. Beer.

Although now... I do see the argument and it's valid. Tackle technique.