The D-League is where the NBA likes to try out rule changes first to see how they work. For example, this season the D-League uses quicker timeouts and is using the international goaltending rule (once the ball hits the rim it is live and can be knocked off).
Now the D-League is going to try handing out in-game technical for flopping in an effort to slow a trend the NBA finds embarrassing. They will start trying it out on Feb. 20, the league announced.
Right now referees can call a personal foul for flopping, but that is rare. To be clear, they are defining flopping as “any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referee to call a foul on another player.”
Referees will be told to call a flopping technical more aggressively, but then will have to go to the instant replay monitors to confirm the call (not at that moment but at the next time out or quarter break). The foul shot with the technical would be taken after that confirmation.
The NBA needs to try something because the slap on the wrist fines currently assessed — just a warning the first time, a $5,000 fine the second and escalating from there — simply isn’t working.
Players flop, they embellish contact because it works — they do get foul calls and the penalty is not a deterrent. Maybe these in game penalties would help, but if they are sometimes getting the calls they want in game for flopping they likely will risk the technical to continue.
Personally, I’m with Shane Battier on this — if you want to do away with flopping, make the fine $25,000 for the first offense and have it escalate fast. Make it hurt in the wallet and guys are more likely to stop.
But we’ll try technical in the D-League first, I guess.
