Motherwell boss calls for end to 'rugby-style' challenges after defender injury

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell has called for a ban on rugby-style ‘tip tackles’, after defender Stephen O’Donnell was crocked during their 2-1 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final win over Dundee United last Friday.

A tip tackle is defined as ‘when the hips of an attacking player are raised above his head and he is brought to ground in this way’, which resulted in O’Donnell being helped off in 51 minutes of the Fir Park clash, to be replaced by Marvin Kaleta.

While Kettlewell is keen to stress he has no doubt there was no intent to injure the former Scotland international, he could be looking at a lengthy spell without O’Donnell.

Kettlewell said: “Stephen hasn’t trained this week. We’re hopeful it’s not too bad, but again it’s one that needs to be assessed over the next two days.

“It’s definitely not as bad as we first feared, you’re obviously looking at dislocations and all that type of stuff, which he has been cleared of.

“But he took a pretty significant blow from a height, and I probably just piggy-back on that one, though it’s not a moan.

“If you actually look at the challenge, I don’t think there’s any intent whatsoever to injure the player, but I’ve been so big on this over the last 18 months.

“What is it they call it in rugby, is it the tip-tackle or something? When you’re fully up there and you’re contesting for the ball, you can’t make a back for the opponent and it’s something that I think, personally, has to be outlawed from the game here.

“We have had a wee bit of dialogue with [SFA head of referees] Willie Collum and it’s not a rant, it’s just something that I feel that we’re missing at this minute in time.

“Without being too dramatic, if Stephen falls a couple of inches in the way and lands on his head,