After considering different methods of penalizing NBA players for flopping during the upcoming season, the league has finally put rules in place with fines as much as $30,000 according to ESPN.com:
“The NBA officially adopted an anti-flopping policy Wednesday, announcing a new rule that will fine repeat offenders this season.”
The first offense for a player next season will result in a warning. After the warning, players are subject to substantial fines starting at $5,000 for the second offense followed by $10,000 for the third, $15,000 for the fourth and $30,000 for the fifth.
If a player continues to flop after the fifth offense, the league will consider larger fines or suspension.
It’s clear that the league is finally fed up with players provoking referees into making bad calls. After witnessing so much flopping going on during the playoffs and NBA Finals last season, it’s no surprise that new rules would be put into effect in the 2012-13 season.
These anti-flopping rules will definitely change the way certain players in the league conduct themselves on the floor. There will certainly be a learning curve for many big-names around the league that have tried to master the art of flopping over the past couple of seasons like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and LeBron James.
Fines will likely be handed out left and right at the start of the upcoming season with the league looking to make examples of players that neglect the new rules or that attempt to test the boundaries of the new policy.
