Stop the Flop! How the NBA Can Change the Rules to Discourage Flopping

The NBA is the most aesthetic sports league in the world. The action is constant and the athleticism is greater than any sport. It's impossible to watch a game, even between lowly teams, without seeing someone doing something spectacular. It really is where "amazing" happens. It's also where flopping happens. 

The aesthetics of flopping in the NBA is akin to seeing a big hairy wart on the tip of Jessica Alba's nose. Even with all of her beauty, it would be hard to admire it with such ugliness on top of it. Fortunately, Jessica does not have wart, but the NBA does have flopping. 

Take for example Blake Griffin, one of the game's most athletic, explosive, entertaining players, who may very well at some point in time dunk using his feet. 

Yet, when it comes to the defensive end, he is notorious for flopping. With a player who has his athleticism, there's no need for it.

Another example is Manu Ginobili, easily one of the game's most exciting players. His game is as entertaining as any. He is among the leaders in what I like to call "how-did-he-do-that" plays per minute. I defy you to watch five consecutive minutes of Ginobili without asking that question. 

By the same token, I defy you to watch five minutes Ginobili without watching him get sent hurling across the court as though he were shot from a cannon when an opponent breathes in his general direction. 

The NBA game has become filled with flopping, and it's making it hard to watch. Frankly, I'm tired of watching 180-pound point guards toss around 250-pound centers like rag dolls. It's disgraceful. 

There are those who say you shouldn't blame the players. To a large—but not entire—extent, I agree with that. It's not the officials' fault, either. They're only calling the game according to the rules and there's no rule against flopping. 

Therein lies the problem. The NBA permits flopping by the very fact that there's no rule against it. It's a loophole. A loophole is defined as "an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules." It is someone exploiting that inadequacy for their own benefit.

Put another way, it's someone who uses the letter of the law to get around the spirit of the law. It's technically allowed, but still wrong. It's high-time for the NBA to remove that distinction and make flopping wrong.

Players that exploit that loophole are arguably doing "what's best for their team," so in some sense I can see the argument that they aren't doing anything wrong. On the other hand, they are essentially using their body to lie. That's bothersome. It's bad sportsmanship. 

Because it's not illegal doesn't mean it's right. When is the last time you watched a game and said, "Wow! Nice flop!"? Have you ever seen a team practice its flopping? Would you watch a game with your kid and show him the intricacies of flopping?

Recently, in a game between the New Orleans Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers, Reggie Evans flopped when Greivis Vasquez brushed him with his hand. Evans, who easily has 50 pounds on Vasquez, went flying back after incidental contact. 

It was so extreme that initially the referees called the foul a flagrant 2. Vasquez could have been ejected from the game on a flop. After reviewing the play, the referees reduced it to a personal foul. This is a pretty good sign that it's time to stop the flop. 

Flopping is bad. It's a physical manifestation of a lie about your opponent. It needs to be resolved. Even in soccer, they now have rules against "diving." 

It could be defined as when "a player attempts to exaggerate contact in solicit a foul call." The technical term would be "solicitation fouls" in order to assign a term for it to be taken serious. That's the thing, it needs to be taken seriously. 

If a referee feels that a player is trying to use exaggerated contact to solicit a foul call, he could call him for solicitation. 

Also, "solicitation fouls" could be called on reviews. Each coach would be given two "challenges" a game. If a coach feels a player has flopped, he challenges and the officials review the call. Similar to the NFL, if he wins his first two challenges, he would awarded a third. 

During the final minute of the game, officials would be allowed to review for flopping without a challenge. 

If a coach loses the first challenge, he gets a delay of game and loses a 20-second timeout. If he loses the second, the coach gets called for a technical and loses a full timeout. That should serve to discourage from abusing the reviews. 

The penalty for solicitation fouls would be that the opposing player receives the equivalent penalty he was trying to "sell." 

If he fakes a defensive foul, then it's a possession foul. The team gets two free throws and the ball back. If he fakes an offensive foul, then the other team gets two free throws. 

If a flagrant is called off of a flop, then the player doing the flopping should get the same call. If it would have induced a flagrant 2, then the flopper gets a flagrant 2. So, for instance, Evans would have been ejected for his flop against New Orleans. 

In other words, make it "have done unto you as you would have done unto others." 

There are some people who might ask "how can you distinguish a flop." My answer is that you know it when you see it, you know what it is.

There's no ambiguity in flopping. Occasionally you can have a "flop" that looks like a foul. How often do you see a legitimate foul that looks like a flop, though?

In order for a solicitation call to be made off of a review, it would require indisputable visual evidence. 

Players who show a habit of accumulating solicitation fouls would merit the same sort of punishment as those who accumulate technicals. After 16 solicitation fouls, a player would be suspended for a game. Every second solicitation foul after that would assess another one-game suspension. 

Additionally, the embarrassment of leading the league in flopping should also discourage players from the tendency.  

And really, how hard is it to not flop? It's not a penalty for getting knocked to the ground. If there's real contact, you're not going to get whistled for it. You just have to not sell contact that didn't happen. 

Making rule changes would annul the incentive to flop and create a disincentive. That should be enough to curtail the tendency towards more flopping. Without the proverbial wart, we could enjoy the game for what it is.