Lowering Tackle Height in Rugby Significantly Reduces Concussion Rates, Study Finds
New research demonstrates that reducing legal tackle height in amateur rugby has led to a substantial decline in concussions and overall injuries. Following successful trials in Ireland, the global governing body has adopted these safety measures for the international amateur game.
Highlights
- •Lowering the legal tackle height has led to a significant 38% to 63% decline in concussion rates among amateur rugby players.
- •The rule change, pioneered by the Irish Rugby Football Union, shifted the target tackle zone from the armpit to the base of the sternum.
- •Ball carriers are now penalized for late dipping during contact, a move designed to prevent dangerous head-to-head collisions on the pitch.
- •The new safety protocol for tackle height has been officially adopted by World Rugby for the amateur community game as of July 2026.
Rugby is widely recognized as a highly physical sport, and the tackle remains the most intense point of contact on the pitch. In the realm of amateur and school-level rugby union, tackles are responsible for more than half of all match-related injuries, positioning them as the primary source of risk for participants. Consequently, there has been a significant push to enhance safety standards and mitigate risks without fundamentally altering the nature of the sport. A recent, comprehensive study suggests that simply lowering tackle height serves as an effective strategy for safeguarding athletes.
Lowering Tackle Height and Improving Safety
The research, recently published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, indicates that a shift toward lower tackle height leads to a marked decline in overall injuries, most notably in cases of concussion. Among amateur women’s rugby players in Ireland, the rate of concussions dropped by 63%, while male players saw a 38% reduction. Furthermore, general injuries decreased by 30% for men and 18% for women, proving that lowering tackle height is a viable method to foster a safer environment.
This initiative originated in 2023 when the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) mandated a reduction in the legal tackle target area, shifting it from the armpit to the base of the sternum—a technique often referred to as the “belly tackle.” The organization supported this transition with an extensive educational campaign emphasizing that a lower target zone is fundamentally the safest approach. To reinforce these safety measures, ball carriers are now penalized for late dipping, which involves a sudden reduction in body height that typically increases the risk of head-to-head contact.
Impact of Law Changes on Rugby Injury Rates
The core objective of this mandate is to maintain distance between the heads of the tackler and the ball carrier. By focusing on the midsection, the frequency of dangerous high-impact collisions is drastically minimized. This Irish initiative was part of a larger World Rugby trial aimed at improving player welfare across the amateur game. Given that the analysis spanned nearly a decade of injury surveillance data—evaluating roughly 86,000 hours of match play—it stands as one of the most robust investigations into tackle mechanics and injury risks to date.
While the findings in adult rugby are overwhelmingly positive, the data regarding schoolboy players showed a different trend. Although total injury counts dropped by 19% in that demographic, the reduction in concussions was not statistically significant. Researchers believe this may be due to variations in physical development, technical skill, and fitness levels among younger athletes. Despite this, the global community is moving forward; World Rugby has officially approved the implementation of lower tackle height for the amateur game, with the new regulations becoming standard internationally as of July 2026.
