What Is a Horse Collar Tackle? NFL Rule and Exceptions

A horse collar tackle occurs when a player grabs inside the back or side collar of a runner’s shoulder pads or jersey, or grabs the jersey at the nameplate or above, and pulls the runner toward the ground. In the NFL, the penalty is 15 yards and an automatic first down.

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The runner does not have to hit the turf. If the pulling action buckles his knees, the foul is complete.

The grip and the pull both matter

Watch the defender’s hand before judging the fall. The rule covers an inside collar grip and an outside grip on the jersey at the nameplate or above. A hand does not have to disappear inside the pads.

There must also be a pull toward the ground. Briefly touching the upper jersey is not enough. Conversely, a runner who stays upright can still have been fouled if the prohibited pull buckles his knees.

For example, a defender chasing a receiver grabs the upper nameplate and pulls backward until the receiver’s knees fold. That satisfies the rule even if another tackler keeps the receiver from falling completely.

The pocket and close line exceptions

The horse collar provision does not apply to a runner in the NFL’s defined pocket area or close line play area. The tackle box guide explains the pocket boundary; it does not simply follow the blockers as they move.

Those exceptions apply to this particular foul. They do not erase other restrictions on dangerous contact. A facemask foul concerns a different grip, and a passer may have additional protection under other rules.

What replay can clarify

The 2026 rules allow limited replay assistance when a horse collar foul was called and clear video shows the hand never contacted a prohibited collar or nameplate area. That is an objective correction, not permission to review every disagreement about pulling force.

The useful viewing sequence is grip, pull, runner’s location. The violence of the landing alone does not settle the call.

Keep learning

Roughing the passer: See how protection changes with passing posture and movement.

Holding explained: Distinguish ordinary restriction from a personal foul.

Down by contact: Learn when the tackle has legally ended the play.

Browse the Football 101 collection for more rules and strategy guides.

Sources

2026 NFL Rulebook, Rule 12, Section 2, Article 16; 15, Section 9. NFL rules reviewed October 10, 2026.