NBA: Are Fines For Flopping a Good Thing?

Are fines for flopping needed? Jason O doesn't think so.

by Jason O (Columnist)

5

338 reads

Editorial

May 29, 2008

Front Page, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Editorial

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The NBA has said that starting next season, fines will be handed out for flopping.

No set amount has been announced, nor has the punishment for repeat offenders.

There will be in-game arena observers and video reviewers, who will be instructed to report instances of flopping for potential punishment.

Flopping has become an art in the NBA over the years, and some players use it more often and effectively than others.

Take San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, for example. He has mastered the art of flopping, and has built up a reputation as a flopper all around the league.

But are there so many flops that there is the need to have video officials and fines?

If they do enforce it, this will just unearth more controversy.

Players will be accused of flopping and be forced to pay a fine. I assure you that there will be a lot of players saying it wasn't a flop, and the league will eventually scrap the idea.

I personally don't think that this sort of action is needed. Others will disagree, but until next season starts and we see how the game changes, we won't know.

Editorial

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comments (5) write a comment »

  1. I hate flopping, and I want it out of the league. But I think the fines miss the point - and as usual, the NBA is burying its head in the sand when it comes to the performance of its officials. The problem isn't the players, it is the officials. If the refs don't fall for it, the players wont do it. But instead of educating officials and working with them not to be so stupid every time a player falls to the floor, the NBA would rather go with the party line that their officials do a great job. What happens next year when a player flops at a crucial time and draws a foul that helps decide a game? The after the game fine is meaningless and won't change anything. Who cares about a fine if it helps your team win?

    Why is it I can watch a game and can tell when a player flops and overreacts to no or minimal contact, yet these officials fall for it repeatedly on a nightly basis.

  2. I dislike the new fining rule, I mean, you can never TRULY tell if it is a flop, k well sometimes you can, but theere will be alot of bad calls i bet

    1. thats what i think will happen, players will get called and fined for flops that werent flops. I dont think they will fine people for more than 3 seasons.

  3. Fines = bad idea. I mean come on. Stew is absolutely right. Particularly in the playoffs, players will pay for a win. Let's hold the refs accountable for cripes sake! That's the solution. By instituting fines, Stern is basically saying that his core of refs is incapable of calling fouls correctly. Then fix that. Educate the idiots. Let the play resume. Get the referees in order and learn how to correctly judge an offensive foul. These guys are pretty hard to knock off their feet.

  4. The problem is that the officials can't tell in real-time whether it's a flop or not. We all love to sit behind our televisions and computers with slow-motion access and criticize the hell out of these guys, but in real-time, from the one angle where you're standing, you can't always point out every flop.

    Fines are a good idea based on how they use them. They will probably use one player every week, or month, or whatever, as a scapegoat. This will keep players second-guessing themselves when they think about flopping.

    If the league tries to pick every single one, this rule will be a disaster. It's simply too hard to judge.

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