Report: NBA studying flopping

[Warhawk]

Uh-oh, we could be in serious trouble in Kings-land....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2742835

Flopping is already illegal in international play. Now, it might become illegal in the NBA, as well.
The NBA is studying how often flopping oocurs and whether officials can tell the difference between flops and actual fouls, Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president for basketball operations, told The Arizona Republic, according to a report on its Web site Thursday.
"They're really difficult to determine in real time. They're meant to fool an official," Jackson said. "Are we going to be wrong more times than not? It's tough, but we're looking at it."
Jackson said the NBA is considering whether to allow its officials to impose technical fouls for flopping, which FIBA, the governing body of international basketball, allows its referees to do. Other sports, such as hockey and soccer, also allow referees to penalize players who flop.
"We have so many more plays than you do in a football or soccer game and in a more intimate environment," he said.
Jackson didn't give a timetable for the league to make a decision.

 

[nbrans]

I don't see how the NBA expects to control flopping when officials only call offensive fouls when the defender falls down. Defender stumbles back? No call. Defender falls down? Offenisve foul. They need to change that before they can even hope to address flopping.

 

[Bricklayer]

Well thank the lord.

We may need a whole new backcourt though.

 

[Prophetess]

It'll only work if they get former players who flopped to call them.

 

[Gargamel]

I don't see how the NBA expects to control flopping when officials only call offensive fouls when the defender falls down.

The damn refs almost always err on the side of the defender, regardless of whether he feins death or stumbles back. A perimeter flop is a guy failing to get his head and shoulders past a defender before plowing into him. A standard "planted-feet" charge should strictly be a guy standing in a stationary position unless the offensive player jumps diagonally into him. I'm sick and tired of seeing guys constantly slide into other guys' paths to the basket hoping for a call.

Yes I realize that we both used to cheer Vlade and Fisher, but now we have teams like Phoenix who have multiple guys resorting to it. I've got about 40 Lakers games from 80-88 on disc and at least 75 more from 89-96. In the early 80s LEGIT charge attempts were rare.* I guess most of the league took pride in their manhood. Even into the mid-90s you're not inundated w/ the wanton flopping that we see today. Rewarding that mentality only makes the game more wussy than it has become.

* Altho I just got a game from 87 (LAL @ Utah) where Worthy dunked on Mel Turpin who was standing under the rim. Turpin fell and Earl Strom called it; Riles went ape and got T'd. Chick Hearn mentioned that they should paint the no charge box onto the court. That's the earliest mention of that rule change that I know of. I wouldn't be surprised if Chick was the first to think of it. RIP Chicky...

 

[Spike]

I heard Vlade will be on the panel...

 

[kennadog]

I read the guidelines and I'm glad I don't have to make the call in a split second. Its the lower defensive box that isn't painted on the court and I think it should be. I mean why not?

Under certain conditions a defensive player can be in the restricted area (the arc), but still draw a charge. It is dependent upon the "lower defensive box."

http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_c.html?nav=ArticleList

 

[jon e]

i really hope they put an end to the flailing hands, the sliding into players then falling down from legal contact to draw attention in the referees peripheral vision to get a call. the flop rule is too vague right now. but like gargamel said, keeping your feet planted anticipating a reversal of the ball is just good clean strategy

 

[Jechtsphere]

All I can say is it's about time.

 

[goggles99]

How about when players fake a jumpshot, and then go diving into the defender (who jumped straight up into the air) as he leaves the ground. I hate that. I call that the "Kobe Special". A lot of players are doing that now on a regular basis, but I blame Kobe more or less for making it big

 

[kennadog]

How about when players fake a jumpshot, and then go diving into the defender (who jumped straight up into the air) as he leaves the ground. I hate that. I call that the "Kobe Special". A lot of players are doing that now on a regular basis, but I blame Kobe more or less for making it big

Kevin Martin and Bibby do it quite well too.

 

[bibbyweb]

Ginobilli would love if they do it

 

[Nazman]

Long, long, long overdue. The whole ruling on how offensives are called is in serious need of revamping to bring back some integrity to the game. Feels more and more like Pro Wrestling these days. Pure chicanery. Bring back the real game, please and save a couple of backs and bones along the way...

 

[Venom]

The damn refs almost always err on the side of the defender, regardless of whether he feins death or stumbles back. A perimeter flop is a guy failing to get his head and shoulders past a defender before plowing into him. A standard "planted-feet" charge should strictly be a guy standing in a stationary position unless the offensive player jumps diagonally into him. I'm sick and tired of seeing guys constantly slide into other guys' paths to the basket hoping for a call.

Yes I realize that we both used to cheer Vlade and Fisher, but now we have teams like Phoenix who have multiple guys resorting to it. I've got about 40 Lakers games from 80-88 on disc and at least 75 more from 89-96. In the early 80s LEGIT charge attempts were rare.* I guess most of the league took pride in their manhood. Even into the mid-90s you're not inundated w/ the wanton flopping that we see today. Rewarding that mentality only makes the game more wussy than it has become.

* Altho I just got a game from 87 (LAL @ Utah) where Worthy dunked on Mel Turpin who was standing under the rim. Turpin fell and Earl Strom called it; Riles went ape and got T'd. Chick Hearn mentioned that they should paint the no charge box onto the court. That's the earliest mention of that rule change that I know of. I wouldn't be surprised if Chick was the first to think of it. RIP Chicky...

I blame the European invasion.