NRL cracks down on high tackles and six-again rule

[Merlot]

How good is it that we are the first team to play this round! We will likely suffer, as per usual, then they'll get it right for the following games. Love it. The NRL needs to compile problems over a season then apply them to the FOLLOWING season. If you want to tinker, do it to lower grades, not the top grade.

Goodness gracious. I appreciate the fact that the NRL are trying to address important issues, but these are problems that can't be fixed overnight. Players need time to adjust their tackling techniques.

If they don't want to get sued by retired players they needed to do more. The NRL does feel like it is changing too often and too fast but this seems pretty clear, very similar to Union.

were is union now,settle the changes plz

 

[happy_tiger]

Might be the time to pick good forwards with great footwork at the line .......especially if they can fall at the line .....

 

[mike]

Might be the time to pick good forwards with great footwork at the line .......especially if they can fall at the line .....

Or have a degree from NIDA

 

[happy_tiger]

Might be the time to pick good forwards with great footwork at the line .......especially if they can fall at the line .....

Or have a degree from NIDA

We couldn't afford any soccer players with that much talent

 

[Lauren]

https://www.patreon.com/posts/failed-hias-and-51427297

NRL PHYSIO
MAY 19, 2021 AT 12:48 PM
Failed HIA’s and player positioning in the NRL
With plenty of talk around tackle heights and concussion risk after rule interpretations were tightened around high contact in the NRL, I decided to review the video of every failed HIA/concussion that has occurred in-game during the 2021 NRL season. Status of the injured player was recorded (tackler/ball carrier/contest) and if the tackler was injured the height and location of contact to the tackler (upright/high contact above the ball carrier’s chest, or bent/low contact below the ball carrier’s chest) was also noted. Results and discussion below:

Of the failed HIA’s/concussions suffered during NRL games this season:

Ball carrier - 33%

Tackler High - 37%

Tackler Low- 20%

Collision/contest - 10%

70% of failed HIA’s with tackler in high contact position (high contact to ball carrier or to the tackler themselves).

20% of failed HIA’s with tackler in low contact position.

Overall:

57% of failed HIA’s to the tackler

33% of failed HIA’s to ball carrier

10% of failed HIA’s during contest/collision

This tracks consistently with results from recent NRL seasons (2017-2020):

50-60% of head injuries to the tackler

30-40% of head injuries to the ball carrier

5-10% of head injuries in a collision

For comparison, in Rugby Union:

72% of head injuries to the tackler
28% of head injuries to the ball carrier
60-65% of tackler head injuries during low contact tackles, but approximately 85% of tackles put the head in low positions
35% of tackler head injuries happen during high contact tackles, approximately 15% of tackles put the head in high positions
In Rugby Union, for every 1000 higher contact tackles, there was 3.7 HIAs, compared to for every 1000 lower contact tackles, 0.9 HIAs. (All union stats via @scienceofsport on Twitter)

Unfortunately there are no official stats on overall % of high vs low position tackles in the NRL. Anecdotally it would appear high position tackles happen a lot more commonly in league than union (just 15% of all tackles) with the evolution of the modern tackle technique to lock up the ball and have greater control over the ball carrier’s positioning.

It would be useful to have access to this information to calculate and compare the overall risk of a failed HIA for low/high position tackles (e.g. in union high position tackles are 4.1 times more likely to result in a HIA than low position tackles).

With 70% of failed HIA’s in 2021 occurring with the tackler in a high/upright position, it would appear that like in rugby union getting the NRL tackler into lower positions would reduce the risk of both players (tackler & ball carrier) requiring/failing a HIA. It is worth considering that hip/knee to head contact was responsible for almost all of the 20% of low tackler position failed HIA’s, so it is likely the sweet spot (lowest risk) for tackler contact is between the hips and chest of the ball carrier.

 

[happy_tiger]

https://www.patreon.com/posts/failed-hias-and-51427297

NRL PHYSIO
MAY 19, 2021 AT 12:48 PM
Failed HIA’s and player positioning in the NRL
With plenty of talk around tackle heights and concussion risk after rule interpretations were tightened around high contact in the NRL, I decided to review the video of every failed HIA/concussion that has occurred in-game during the 2021 NRL season. Status of the injured player was recorded (tackler/ball carrier/contest) and if the tackler was injured the height and location of contact to the tackler (upright/high contact above the ball carrier’s chest, or bent/low contact below the ball carrier’s chest) was also noted. Results and discussion below:

Of the failed HIA’s/concussions suffered during NRL games this season:

Ball carrier - 33%

Tackler High - 37%

Tackler Low- 20%

Collision/contest - 10%

70% of failed HIA’s with tackler in high contact position (high contact to ball carrier or to the tackler themselves).

20% of failed HIA’s with tackler in low contact position.

Overall:

57% of failed HIA’s to the tackler

33% of failed HIA’s to ball carrier

10% of failed HIA’s during contest/collision

This tracks consistently with results from recent NRL seasons (2017-2020):

50-60% of head injuries to the tackler

30-40% of head injuries to the ball carrier

5-10% of head injuries in a collision

For comparison, in Rugby Union:

72% of head injuries to the tackler
28% of head injuries to the ball carrier
60-65% of tackler head injuries during low contact tackles, but approximately 85% of tackles put the head in low positions
35% of tackler head injuries happen during high contact tackles, approximately 15% of tackles put the head in high positions
In Rugby Union, for every 1000 higher contact tackles, there was 3.7 HIAs, compared to for every 1000 lower contact tackles, 0.9 HIAs. (All union stats via @scienceofsport on Twitter)

Unfortunately there are no official stats on overall % of high vs low position tackles in the NRL. Anecdotally it would appear high position tackles happen a lot more commonly in league than union (just 15% of all tackles) with the evolution of the modern tackle technique to lock up the ball and have greater control over the ball carrier’s positioning.

It would be useful to have access to this information to calculate and compare the overall risk of a failed HIA for low/high position tackles (e.g. in union high position tackles are 4.1 times more likely to result in a HIA than low position tackles).

With 70% of failed HIA’s in 2021 occurring with the tackler in a high/upright position, it would appear that like in rugby union getting the NRL tackler into lower positions would reduce the risk of both players (tackler & ball carrier) requiring/failing a HIA. It is worth considering that hip/knee to head contact was responsible for almost all of the 20% of low tackler position failed HIA’s, so it is likely the sweet spot (lowest risk) for tackler contact is between the hips and chest of the ball carrier.

Thanks for that Lauren ...very interesting reading ......defenders far more heavily injured than attackers ...a lot of that comes from attackers in the modern age using their hips when they hit the line to try and offload or get quicker play the balls by getting to the ground quicker

 

[tig_prmz]

This puts the onus completely on the defender/s to ensure there is no contact made with either the attacker/defender's heads.

So, as long as the attacker holds his forearm in north-south directions, doesn't raise his knee and doesn't lead in with his head into the tackle, they can't do much wrong.

A good point was made regarding legs tackles. Definitely a lost art, but in the game today- a legs tackle is only made in a 1 on 1situation. I don't mind the legs tackle not being rewarded because the attacking team must have done something right to get to a 1 on 1 situation. Happy for them to get a quick PTB with a man down when that happens.

I feel like there is more clarity with all this now (for me, atleast) except those times when the attacker falls into the tackle. Last few years, big and tall men were preferred as wrestlers but now I feel the stockier forwards will be preferred.