Overview
- World Rugby’s Executive Board published the working‑group findings on Wednesday and put a Law Application Guideline for knee‑drop into effect on October 5 and will add the hip‑drop to Law 9.13 from November 1.
- A hip‑drop is defined as a tackler swinging through or from behind and dropping body weight onto a ball‑carrier’s lower limbs as they are brought to ground, and the offence will carry at least a penalty and possible judiciary referral in serious cases.
- World Rugby said a knee‑drop—where a defender drops to one or both knees before making contact—is already covered by existing law that bars a player on the ground from tackling and the new guideline clarifies how referees should identify and sanction it.
- The changes follow analysis by an expert tackle‑height working group and commissioned research, including work by Leeds Beckett University, that reviewed footage across sevens and fifteens and found risks of severe lower‑limb injury.
- Players, coaches and match officials will need to adjust quickly as unions and competitions are briefed ahead of November fixtures, and the policy builds on similar bans and suspensions seen in other codes after high‑profile injuries.