NFL "butt push" controversy: reserved or prohibited?

Recently, NFL owners (National Football League) bosses made a highly-watched decision: they voted not to ban the controversial "butt push tactics". The "Hip Push Tactic" is a short-code offensive tactic that has been first used by the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years and has achieved remarkable results. This tactic not only helped the Hawks win last year’s Lombardi Trophy, but also became their winning weapon this season.

The Philadelphia Eagles successfully used the hip push tactic

What is the "hip push tactic"?

Simply put, the "butt push tactic" is when the offensive party needs to push a short distance (such as 1 yard) to get a new first attack or touchdown, and the quarterbacks behind him rush forward, while the tight ends and running backs behind push the quarterback from behind, just like a "collective charge" in football. This synergy usually ensures successful acquisition of short code numbers. Hawks quarterback Jaylen Hutz has benefited a lot from this, with most of his 52 rushing touchdowns in the past four seasons coming from this tactic.

Why do anyone want to ban it?

Although the "butt push tactic" has brought great success to the Hawks, this tactic has also caused controversy. Some teams believe that such tactics weaken the competitiveness and viewing of the game. In addition, because the players tried their best to push each other at such a close distance, there were also safety risks. Especially the Green Bay Packers, after being defeated by the Hawks in the wild card game, actively proposed to ban the tactic. Mark Murphy, CEO of the Packers, said bluntly: "Hip-pushing tactics" are not good for the sport. ”

Voting results and future impact

At the Spring League meeting, discussions on whether the "butt-pushing tactic" should be banned became the focus again. In the end, the proposal failed to pass due to the failure to obtain the required 75% approval rating (i.e. 24 votes). Among them, 10 teams explicitly opposed the ban. It is worth noting that former Hawks center Jason Kelsey went to Minnesota to attend the meeting in person to speak out to retain the tactic.

With the results of this vote, some teams expressed disappointment, but the league as a whole For those who are concerned about security, the league may continue to pay attention to the security of such tactics in the future and may adjust them to ensure the safety of players.

This vote not only reflects the game of interests between different teams, but also reflects the NFL's efforts to balance tradition and innovation. Whether the "butt push" can continue to maintain its magic depends on how each team is used and whether the league will introduce stricter regulations in the future.