NFL Horse Collar Rule: What is it & When Did the League Approve the Expansion of the Rule?

Ever seen a player pull down an opponent with the ball by their collar? Well, that’s a horse collar tackle and it’s against the rules. The rule against horse-collar tackles makes it illegal when a “defender grabs the jersey at the name plate or above and pulls a runner toward the ground.”

If the on-field official determines that a player has executed a horse collar tackle, a 15-yard penalty is enforced, and the opposing team is awarded an automatic first down. The official rule reads:

“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. This does not apply to a runner who is in the tackle box or to a quarterback who is in the pocket.”

Additionally, a player does not have to fully bring the runner to the ground for the act to be considered illegal. If the runner’s knees buckle due to the action, it constitutes a foul, regardless of whether the runner is brought completely to the ground.

The rule, initially, only just a penalty for grabbing and pulling a runner by the shoulder pads, was expanded in 2016 to include the jersey grabbing at the name plate or above. Before, the move could also be used on a quarterback in the pocket.

Horse collar tackle flag thrown here. #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/jjWkzza3hx

— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) February 12, 2024

In the second quarter of the Super Bowl today, Brock Purdy ran out of the end zone, looking for a first down. But he was chased down by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and brought down from behind, resulting in a call by the officials, and a 15-yard penalty. This helped set up San Francisco’s first full drive of the second quarter, ending in a punt and a 10-0 advantage.

While many are calling the foul questionable as it only seemed to “redirect” Purdy and not pull him towards the ground as the rules state, it should be noted that the rule can be enforced if the knees of the runner buckle, and not necessarily if he is brought down to the ground.