The NBA to Fine Players for Flopping
We think this is pretty ridiculous: The League is going to hand out fines for flopping?
The league office has yet to determine exact fine amounts for offending flops and how fines might escalate for repeat offenders, but in-game arena observers and video reviewers will be instructed to report instances of theatrical flopping for potential punishment as part of postgame reports on officiating and other matters.
The league’s pledge to crack down on flopping was conveyed to team representatives at Tuesday’s competition committee meeting in Orlando.NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson confirmed the new policy Wednesday night saying: “What was clearly expressed to the committee is that we would begin imposing fines next season for the most egregious type of flops. When players are taking a dive, for lack of a better term.”
So now we’re going to have a committee deliberating over what and what isn’t a flop? They clearly don’t have a handle on defining flagrant fouls (as we’ve seen a ton of times already in these playoffs).
Our feeling is that this should be on the refs. Guys like Manu flop constantly because the refs let them get away with it time and time again. If the refs stop rewarding players for flopping, they’ll stop doing it.
What do you think?
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May 29th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
jimmhumm says:
I think its over board. How can you consistently tell someone is flopping? I mean Manu does it, Duncan, even LBJ flops. THis is worse than the dress code.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Three Stacks says:
Where can you apply as an in-game arena observer for flopping? That sounds like a sweet gig.
Since it’s impossible to tell in real-time whether a player is flopping or not, I think the fines are more fitting. This way, the league can review certain instances and fine the player accordingly. After repeated fines, I’m sure a player would get notorious for flopping and would get less calls from the ref, or at least stop because of their conscience.
I like this rule, if it works. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Blue says:
I totally agree with the new fine policy! I know you say it’s on the refs to determine this stuff, but to be fair, they’re only human and can only watch so many things at once. when you see a play live, the impact can look so much more devastating than when you slow it down. just like with flagrant fouls, the refs can only go by what they see with their naked eye from whatever angle they’re at. the refs don’t have the luxury of instant replay.
the logistics of this can get a little dicey, and yeah, it won’t please everyone, but i’m sure the goal of the league is to get it to a point where they will no longer have to fine people for this, and every foul call will be a (somewhat) legitimate foul.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Three Stacks says:
I like how this is an article about flopping and the only tagged player name is “Manu Ginobili.”
May 29th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
JA says:
Somewhat interesting. Instead could let refs give out technicals to floppers instead, but I guess its hard for the refs to tell sometimes on flops without replay.
I say the other team should be able to step on the flopper when they’re on the ground – give them something to complain about.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
weng santos says:
Soccer does it (punish players for flopping).
I thank it can be done, but refs will need to be strict about enforcement.
Now, let’s get some money from the Lakers (Fisher flopping, Kobe flailing), Manu, and all of the Utah Jazz!
May 29th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
DO says:
they’ll enforce it at first to make a point, and then probably forget about it. i doubt that the league will review any of the flops unless its obvious and ridiculous. i don’t have a problem with flopping, except for those players that use flopping as their primary method of defense (varejao)
May 29th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Big Freeze says:
Flopping is art. And Vladi Divac is Leonardo Divinchi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPHIT61FfU
May 29th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Jim says:
This seems nuts that they are going to have folks at every arena doing it instead of doing it in NYC by looking at tape. Does that mean they’re going to be dinging guys every few games?
May 29th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
How about- just dont call the flops? Wouldnt that solve the issue if players never got a call on a clear flop?
What good is 5 or 10 grand to dudes that make 5mil? Its like someone at your job giving you a 50 cent fine when you are late. NBD.
May 29th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Jeffrey says:
If that’s the case, then they should fine Kwame Brown. He’s been flopping ever since he got into the league.
May 29th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Gerard says:
^Jeffrey killed it
May 29th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Brandon Hoffman says:
Vlade Divac is rolling over in his grave…
May 29th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Big Freeze says:
lmao @ Brandon
Naw, Vlade is not dead yet. Last I heard he opened up a basketball training facility in Yugoslavia called “Ni vreden pol kurca Vlade,” which translates to “The Vlade School of Flopping.”
May 29th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
boogeybanger says:
I’ve been schooled and held my own against D1 players in my area in park/rec games. I’m 5’11, 185 and I’ve never gone flying across the floor because some guy bumped into me doing a spin move. I may have been knocked back a bit, but I’ve never looked like I got hit with a drop kick into the 3rd row. That bullshit needs to end. Everyone does it. They also need to put in a delay of game warning for some of that other bullshit. LeBron made it seem like someone took a hatchet to his neck only to hop back up a minute later fine as hell. Stop acting to get a bullshit flagrant. Play the game or sit on the f’n sideline
May 29th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
djkianoosh says:
ya’ll are killing me. you only put manu’s name there just to antagonize me, right. for the last time ya’ll. he’s not the only one, he’s not the originator, he doesn’t do it as much as you think, and he’s been surpassed by countless numbers of players over the years in this regard. it’s just wrong to keep perpetuating this perception that he’s the poster boy for this thing.
if manu’s a flopper, then so is AI, Rip, CP3 and a hundred other guys. the worst offenders are the big guys. the small guys are just accentuating real contact.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
dh says:
i don’t agree with the fine-a-flop rule. Dime is right, it starts with the referees…
do the refs have some sort of mandatory special training session in the off-season???
they should. and they should train all of them to be aware of flops like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ukde193ivM
also, they should all be clear on what exactly a flagrant foul is.
the inconsistency from game to game, quarter by quarter, and play by play is the most frustrating thing about the nba.
May 29th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
boogeybanger says:
that’s what i’m talkin bout. how hard must you hit a 6’11 250 lb guy to make him slide on his back like a lil b!tch. he should get a tech for that
May 29th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Desrat says:
I hope that the way it plays out is that once a player gets in the sports pages for a fine or two for flopping they stop getting the flopping calls AND offensive players can bang them a bit harder and not get called for an offensive foul.
The worm was the best flopper of all time. He would go toe to toe with Shaq one game giving little to no ground then go flying five feet when little John Stockton ran into him!
May 29th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Lakers Blog says:
I think you might all like this article: http://www.laballtalk.com/2008/05/29/nba-nothing-but-assholes/
May 29th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
GEE...Only talk to one cat and he won't squeal says:
Don’t call it and tell them to get up and DIME since you all are gettin the T-shirts done you should do the “Stop Floppin” shirts. You all wear them in mass and I promise cats will pick them up.
A fine is going to just create problems. Just don’t call nothing till it’s reaaaaaaaaal and we all know what real is crucial.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
subrock says:
This is horrible on the league part, its like they’re admitting to the ref’s incompetence saying “ok we know our refs sucks and they can’t tell a difference between a flop and a robert horry tackle. To make everything better, we’ll just fine the players after the game even though it won’t change the outcome of the game.”
This isn’t going to change anything unless the fine is substantial. Some players make millions off of flopping. And do you think that players will stop flopping come playoff time when championships are on the line?
The refs just need to stop calling the damn flops.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
NoSpursNo says:
So I guess Manu will break about even on his salary next year…
May 29th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
heavy d says:
I agree with spirit of stopping flopping, but can’t imagine how this fine system is going to succeed in making anything better. Like flagrant suspensions it is just another thing for the league office to apply unevenly at their discretion.
May 30th, 2008 at 12:58 am
dagwaller says:
Attn NBA: redefine what a charge is and what a block is. kthnxbye
May 30th, 2008 at 2:03 am
qq says:
Great, even presence of this rule will bring down that flopping disease of the NBA to some degree.
May 30th, 2008 at 8:49 am
MSkittle says:
This is a bad rule. The main kind of “flopping” that guys do is the Vlade Divac style of taking charges. However cheap it may be, it is good fundamental basketball to try and take a charge on an out-of-control offensive player.
May 30th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Celts Fan says:
This is an after-the-fact thing done for blatant flops. I like it. In soccer, guys get yellow cards (the equivalent of a tech) for diving. This is just a fine after the fact that should deter some of it. It’s better than letting it keep going.
Like I said yesterday, the Spurs just became a 40 win team…
May 30th, 2008 at 9:36 am
fallinup says:
Flopping isn’t the friggin issue. It’s the changing of the rules to give the advantage to the agressive offensive player. You get rid of touch fouls, and actually let the players play some damn defense, and you’ll cut down on flopping. Vlade and maybe less than a handful of players were known as floppers before those rule changes….now, all you can do is flop. Because you can’t play real defense.
The fine is stupid, and will never be approved by the player’s union.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Mr. Allred says:
I say if they don’t want to do the fines, do like they do with the defensive 3 seconds in the key rule. If the officials feel a player is flopping, award the other team a technical foul free throw and maybe when the floppers start costing their teams some victories as a result of their actions, hopefully there will be a decrease in the amount of flopping.