It’s been a rough season for the Washington Commanders, with injury ruining the campaign for many of their star players as they miss significant time. Now, however, a suspension will rob the team of one of their defensive stalwarts for the Week 10 clash with the Detroit Lions.

According to the NFL, linebacker Frankie Luvu has been suspended without pay for one game for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Luvu was seen to commit what has become known as a hip-drop tackle in the first quarter of the Seahawks game, an action that violates Rule 12, Section 2, Article 18 (a)(b) of the official regulations, which states that: “It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground: (a) grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and (b) unweights himself by swivelling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”

It is the third time this season that Luvu has been penalised for such a tackle, having received a $23,186 fine following the Atlanta Falcons game in Week 4 and another $46,372 levy just last week following the Commanders’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Through nine games this season, Luvu has played 96 percent of the Commanders’ defensive snaps. He has 50 total tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks and will thus be a significant loss for an already depleted Washington roster.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Luvu may appeal the suspension. Any appeal will be heard and decided upon by either Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster or Jordy Nelson, the hearing officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.

UPDATE: Luvu’s punishment has been commuted to a $100,000 fine on appeal  by hearing officer Derrick Brooks, leading to the player’s agent, Blake Baratz, to comment: ‘The decision to overturn Frankie Luvu’s suspension was the right one. Frankie plays the game the right way — with passion, physicality and respect — and has been a tremendous ambassador for the sport both on and off the field. We all want football to be safer, but true progress comes through clarity, fairness, education and equality’.