Anti-Flopping Petition

[LamboNYK]

Watching the playoffs this year, I couldn't take it anymore. If I have to watch a player have one more seizure on minor contact, I'm gonna throw up. Flopping has reached the point where every game is affected, and I am disgusted by it as somebody that loves pure basketball.

I've started a petition to end flopping: http://www.floppolice.com/petition

It is targeted to the Competition Committee, who recommend rule changes, in hopes of getting their attention. Once there are enough signatures, I will push to get this noticed by the committee.

I will also track progress and give news updates about the anti-flopping movement on the site at: http://www.floppolice.com

So, if you are as fed up as I am, sign it and spread the word. Let's raise some hell and make sure they can't ignore flopping anymore!!

[Serpo]

It's not the players themselfs it's the rules . Way too many fouls are called and players try to sell there's even more contact because they know the refs will most likely call it .

[kandiking]

the problem is the refs who actually call the fouls. if you see manu falling for no reason, would'nt you know by now that they're flopping and that you should'nt call the foul?

[Simplicity0]

Props. I'll sign it later.

[chrice]

I could have sworn they put a flopping rule in place at least 2 years ago. The refs just don't call it.

[Patterns]

It's really tough for the referees to see what is flopping and what isn't during the course of a fast moving game. You can't keep an eye on every pair of player with 3 referees.

[dockingsched]

ginobili's flopping is overrated. he's just an active player that drives the lane without fear of contact. he embellishes contact, but its always there. players like chris paul are the ones that throw themselves around when they aren't even touched.

[CrookedJ]

In hockey this was a very big problem about 10 years ago. They made a unsportmanlike penalty for 'Diving' .

It works pretty well. They will even call it when there was illegal contact, but the player flopped to exagerate - giving them both penalties.

Make a technical foul for flopping. Currently if a player flops but the ref doesn't bite, there is no whistle. They should T up the player, and embarass them for it. That would make players think twice before doing so.

Also Offensive fouls should be called less than they currently are. When I was a kid playing, those were reserved mainly for out of control moments and push offs . . . not for diving in front of someone else's man as they approach the "semi circle"

[ffz2000]

Give them a tech for flopping. I like it!

[LamboNYK]

I could have sworn they put a flopping rule in place at least 2 years ago. The refs just don't call it.

Actually FIBA did put a rule in a few years ago - it allows refs to call a tech for flopping - but the NBA hasn't. Isn't it funny that most people blame Europeans for flopping, but they have dealt with it over there while the NBA still hasn't. It blows my mind.

As for the petition, it's going good - a few signatures are in already...keep em comin guys! Just remember to verify to make 'em count!

[Rocky5000]

There's two types of flopping, flopping to get a foul on the defender and flopping to draw a charging foul or clear out on the offensive player(offender?).

I think taking charges is basically fine (which is what Varejao, primarily does.) I just wish that there was more consistency in the way the rule was applied.

If you get fouled, I'm fine with bringing it to the attention of the referee with a little acting. But what I really don't like is when players with the ball create fouls that don't exist. This include grabbing your eye when nobody touches you, collapsing like you've been shot after running into a pick, and kicking your leg out to make contact, etc.

[SOUL]

Flopping is gettin bad.. but I agree, some people call everything flopping. If somebody is barreling into you running down the lane and you fall, that is not flopping.

[Da big3]

cool site, i think i will sign...

[sp6r=underrated]

Who cares? Flopping will always be a part of the game as long as fouls are called.

[HarlemHeat37]

hahaha a petition to stop flopping? LOL wow..so if the NBA receives this, they're going to send a message to every player that they must only fall if it's legitimate contact? how the **** are they supposed to know if it was legit or not? you can't just end flopping..

it's the same as other calls..the ref will either notice it or he won't..it can go either way..

I'm gonna do something RARE here on RealGM, and I'm going to show some love to the refs..I'm being serious here, this is the BEST job I've seen the refs do for flopping in years..I've actually seen MANY flops get ignored by the refs in these playoffs, which obviously means that they're aware of the problem and they're trying to fix it..

just like how teams get certain favorable reputation calls on defense, it seems as if refs are giving out calls against floppers with a reputation..the refs are definitely getting better in this regard..

I have to show some love to one of my favorite Laker posters here, dcash, for pointing out that Ginobili's flopping is EXTREMELY overrated..like I've said many times, Ginobili doesn't even make the top 5 guys in the NBA that flop MOST OFTEN..he's just the BEST flopper..he has mastered the art, which doesn't mean he does it most often,he just does it the best..it's typical NBA fans that go by the media's brainwashing and only single out Manu's flopping, when every team in the NBA has multiple guys that flop consistently every game..

the reffing against flopping is improving, and it will improve every year..there's no way that ALL flopping can be eliminated, that just doesn't happen..it's part of defense..

[a-rod]

Some Athletes do unethical things in order to achieve their goals, case in point: Diego Maradona admitted cheating to beat England in the 1986 World Cup.

Flops are taking over the NBA, I don

[schneiderjazz]

Some Athletes do unethical things in order to achieve their goals, case in point: Diego Maradona admitted cheating to beat England in the 1986 World Cup.

Flops are taking over the NBA, I don

[Serpo]

Well, the league created a lot of rules to prevent contact. All you have to do right now is sell the refs that a guy touched you, and he'll get called for a foul, both on offense and defense.
There's a rule in soccer for flopping. If you're caught doing it, you receive a yellow card. Although I believe it's a good rule, it has its problems and the same thing would happen in basketball if a technical was called for flopping.
Can you imagine people saying:
"Yeah, he exaggerated, but it was a foul, it was not a flop. We lost because of that stupid tech." or "He lost his balance, he did not fall down on purpose. Why did he get a tech?"
IMO, the flopping thing, although really annoying, is completely blown out of proportion. In 90% of the cases a player flops, there's actually contact on the play. If you wanna get pissed, be pissed off because you're not allowed to breath anywhere near a player anymore and not because players are trying to use it as an advantage

QFT

[LamboNYK]

Well as an alternative to the tech in game, you can review tape after the fact and give out fines and possibly suspensions for repeat offenders. David Stern supports that method.

And I don't agree that they're getting flopping controlled this year. I mean...so many big playoff games were affected:

1) AK47 flopped vs. Houston when they were hitting the tying 3 in game 2 of their first round series. Houston ended up losing the first 2 at home, it basically ended their season.

2) The Spurs flopped Shaq out of the game in game 1 of the Suns Spurs first round series...he missed huge minutes because of the flopping in what turned out to be the most important game of the series.

3) Lebron flopped on Pierce in the final minutes of game 6 i believe of that 2nd round series when Boston was trying to tie...that flop was basically the deciding play.

4) Calderon got a last second possession for Toronto by flopping on an inbounds play in a game that shouldv'e been iced by ORL if not for the flop.

I mean those are clear cut instances of flops having a lot to do with the outcomes of playoff games. If that's what getting it under control looks like, then I don't want to see what out of control is.

[Serpo]

Flopping right now is an important part of the defense because they took so many ways of defending . You get called for SO many things that are no way in hell fouls .