The NBA is finally, maybe cracking down on flopping with new rule

Flopping has been one of the most discussed on-court problems in the NBA over the last decade, but it hasn’t been easy for the officials to enforce. The difference between a block (a defensive foul) and a charge (an offensive foul) is already often minuscule and open to interpretation. As more and more rule changes have been put in to favor offenses over the years, defenders have responded by occasionally exaggerating contact in an attempt to get a call the other way. There are hundreds (thousands?) of shameless flops every season, and it’s continued into the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

The NBA is finally ready to crack down on flopping, and a new rule suggestion could be tested as early as Las Vegas Summer League in July, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The league is considering an in-game penalty for flops that result in a technical free throw, according to Charania. A trail run for the new rule is being considered for Summer League.

The NBA’s newest idea to put an end to flopping comes two weeks after Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr begged the league to do something about it during his team’s series with the Los Angeles Lakers in these playoffs. The Lakers drew more fouls than any team all season, and often times their players would be accused of flopping (looking at you, Dennis Schroder). Of course, the Heat and Celtics have also been widely accused of flopping over the years as they face-off in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here’s what Kerr told the media on flopping earlier this month, via NBC Sports:

“I think, to me, what I’ve learned coaching in FIBA ... There’s a flop rule. If a referee deems a player has flopped, they just call it a technical foul, and it’s pretty penalizing. And so the flopping has basically been eliminated from FIBA, and we have the ability to do the same thing in the NBA if we want.

“I think we should address it, because the players are so smart, and the entire regular season is about gamesmanship and trying to fool the refs. And this is how it’s been for a while, and it’s up to us as a league. Do we want to fix this? ... These are all things that are my personal plea to the NBA. I think we can do better in terms of cleaning up the flopping. In the meantime, I give the Lakers credit for the plays that they’ve been able to sell.”

The NBA installed an anti-flopping policy ahead of the 2012-2013 season. Players are given a warning on their first violation, and fined between $5K and $30K on ensuing violations. The refs do not decide if a player has flopped. It’s instead determined by video review after the game.

This proposed flopping rule is a step in the right direction, but it would still leave a lot open to interpretation. Hopefully, it would also be called on offensive players who exaggerate contact in an attempt to draw free throws. The NBA also really needs to address non-primary defenders sliding under airborne players in an attempt to draw a charge.

Everyone agrees NBA flopping is a problem. Maybe this is the first step towards curbing it.