The NBA on Tuesday approved rule changes starting next season, with the introduction of a sanction against in-game simulations and an extension of the ability for coaches to challenge a referee’s decision.
The NBA Competition Committee, which includes players, coaches, referees, club owners, team executives and representatives from the National Basketball Players Association, unanimously recommended these two changes to the entire board of team owners.
No eviction
The new ‘flopping’ rule, adopted on a trial basis for one season, states that when a referee calls a player for a ‘flop’ – a move deliberately intended to obtain a refereeing foul on another player by exaggerating a fall for example – the offending player will be assessed a technical foul and the opposing team will be awarded a free throw attempt. However, a player cannot be expelled from a match for committing a “flopping” fault.
Referees will not be required to stop play to signal a simulation, allowing teams with an attacking opportunity to continue until the next stoppage in play. Referees will be able to designate both a foul and a flopping violation. on the same sequence.
An NBA sauce hawk-eye
In addition, coaches will now be able to challenge an arbitration decision a second time if their first challenge has been validated after reviewing the video replays. However, teams will have to continue to use a time out to trigger a protest. They will not be able to do so if they no longer have it.
They will keep the time out after a first challenge if it is accepted, but they will not keep the time out used for a second challenge, whether validated or not.