The dump tackle, also known as dumping, tipping, or a tip tackle is a popular

tackling Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football ** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking up ...

technique used in

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...

. The tackler wraps their arms around the ball carrier's thighs and lifts them a short distance in the air before forcibly driving them to the ground. The move is frowned upon in many rugby communities as a dangerous tackling technique, as it puts the player being tackled at risk of a spine, neck, or head injury. However, the move is still popular in some places, and is often considered a crowd-pleaser. A similar tackle to the dump tackle is the

spear tackle A spear tackle is an illegal tackle in rugby union, rugby league and Australian rules football in which a player lifts another player into the air and drops them so that they land on their back, head or neck. Spear tackles have caused serious inj ...

, a more dangerous (and illegal) move. This can be done by adding additional rotation to the player being tackled, causing the player to hit the ground head or neck first.

Rugby Union

According to

World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...

rules, "a player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that their head and/or upper body make contact with the ground." This applies to both dump tackles and spear tackles, although the calling of a penalty for these tackles is up to the discretion of the

referee A referee is an official, in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The official tasked with this job may be known by a variety of other title ...

. Illegal dump tackles can be penalized with a yellow card, red card, or penalty only depending on the severity of the tackle and the danger to the player being tackled. In an effort to reduce tackle-related injuries, World Rugby has emphasized to referees the importance of penalizing players who use this tackle technique dangerously.

Rugby League

The dump tackle is a tackling technique favored mainly by rugby league players. A player is guilty of misconduct if they "uses any dangerous throw when affecting a tackle," which includes any lifting of the player being tackled beyond the horizontal (i.e., a spear tackle). As per Rugby League International Federation (IRLF) laws,

"Dangerous throw (d) If, in any tackle of, or contact with, an opponent that player is so lifted that he is placed in a position where it is likely that the first part of his body to make contact with the ground will be his head or neck (“the dangerous position”), then that tackle or contact will be deemed to be a dangerous throw unless, with the exercise of reasonable care, the dangerous position could not have been avoided."

References

Rugby league terminology Rugby union terminology {{Rugbyleague-stub

Rugby Union

Rugby League

See also

References