It’s possible your yeast didn’t activate properly. Make sure the water you use is between 105 to 115 degrees F and that the yeast mixture if bubbly before starting the dough. Don’t overmix, you want the dough to relax and be pliable. This is one of the reasons we divide the dough in half right before making the rolls. Forgot to punch down your dough. If you forget to do this step, it’s possible the dough with over proof and the gluten will collapse. The end result will be hard rolls that have trouble rising while baking.