A grapple tackle is a controversial tackling

Tackle (football move)

Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....

 technique used in rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

. It has gained notoriety in Australia's National Rugby League

National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 competition whereby the tackler attempts to impede the ball carrier by applying a chokehold-like

Chokehold

A chokehold or choke is a general term for grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air or blood from passing through the neck of an opponent. The restriction may be of one or both and depends on the hold used and the reaction of the victim...

 grip. Although players can be penalised

Penalty (rugby)

In rugby football, the penalty is the main disciplinary sanction available to the referee to penalise players who commit deliberate infringements. The team who did not commit the infringement are given possession of the ball and may either kick it towards touch , attempt a place kick at goal, or...

 for its use, it is difficult to enforce.

Mechanics

A grapple tackle has two distinct variations, both of which are illegal under the laws of the game. Note that a simple chokehold or headlock is tolerated within the game.

• Type A (a true grapple tackle) involves a defender, usually the 3rd to arrive, applying pressure to the attacking player's neck with the bony part of his forearms. He then proceeds to 'untwist' his arms in order to twist the players neck. The idea is to prevent the attacker from falling onto his stomach from where he can quickly play the ball. Instead, he must turn with the player twisting his neck onto his back. The 3rd defender, now with the attacker's 'backhead' in his stomach and still with his arms placed around the players neck, then puts his entire weight onto the players head by shifting his weight off his legs. This enables the previous defenders considerable time to retreat the 10m
  Offside (rugby)
  In rugby football, the offside rule prohibits players from gaining an advantage from being too far forward. The specifics of the rule differ between the two major codes.-Rugby union:Offside rules in rugby union are complex...
  
  ; because of the pressure on the neck the attacker is 'stunned'. A prolonged hold of this sort can can cause disorientation and even unconsciousness.

• Type B (the more common but less effective, and shown in the below photos) involves only two players. The 1st defender makes a traditional 'ball-and-all' tackle, locking the ball up. The 2nd defender then tries to put all of his weight into twisting the attacker onto his back. Sometimes, it involves using a 'chokehold' where one arm is wrapped around the throat. However, this technique has been used in rugby league for years, and isn't a true grapple tackle. It only becomes a problem when a player uses the 'crushing' aspect outlined above, where he puts all of his weight onto the back of the attacker's head/neck. This tackle is usually ignored by most referees, because it happens far quicker, and most attackers actually contribute to their own demise by looking to offload the ball.

NRL club Melbourne Storm

Melbourne Storm

The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....

 frequently use the Type B style of tackle, as highlighted by NRL commentator Peter Sterling

Peter Sterling

Peter Maxwell John "Sterlo" Sterling OAM is an Australian rugby league commentator and former player. He was one of the all-time great halfbacks and a major contributor to Parramatta Eels' dominance of the New South Wales Rugby League premiership in the 1980s. Sterling played nineteen Tests for...

 during the Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos

Brisbane Broncos

The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...

 Friday night clash on July 22, 2011.

External links

• Why the grapple tackle is a matter of life and death - Roy Masters, The Sydney Morning Herald
  The Sydney Morning Herald
  The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
  
  
• Fa'alogo banned for seven games - by Steve Jancetic for Fox Sports