and by the additional weight of the defender. Potential injuries include sprains or tears to ligaments in the knees and ankles (including the ACL and MCL), and fractures of the tibia and fibula. Smith, for instance, was effectively sidelined for two seasons after a horse-collar tackle by Williams broke his right tibia. The ban states that a horse-collar tackle is an open-field tackle in which a defender uses the shoulder pads or jersey to immediately bring a ball carrier down. The term "open field" means that horse-collar tackles committed near the line of scrimmage will be allowed. Punishment In the NFL, the horse-collar tackle results in a 15-yard major foul penalty and an automatic first down if committed by the defense, and the penalty is assessed as if it were a dead ball, after the play foul, if the opposing offense gains yards. It will often also result in a league-imposed fine on the player. Roy Williams was the first player suspended for repeated violations of the rule. The one-game suspension was given following a horse-collar tackle on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb that occurred on December 16, 2007, and it was Williams' third violation of the rule of the 2007 season. The tackle was made illegal in the CFL for the 2007 season. The horse collar tackle was legal through the 2007–2008 season in college football but was banned by the NCAA after criticism from pundits and coaches for the 2008–2009 season as part of a package that adopted several NFL rules into the college game. The National Federation of State High School Associations added a penalty for horse-collar tackles for the 2009 season. References American football plays Gridiron football penalties Banned sports tactics