NBA institutes anti-flopping rules

The NBA announced on Wednesday that it is adopting new procedures and policies to combat defensive flopping. 

“Flops have no place in our game -- they either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call," NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said in a statement. "Accordingly, both the board of governors and the competition committee felt strongly that any player who the league determines, following video review, to have committed a flop should -- after a warning -- be given an automatic penalty.”

The penalties are as follows: 

Violation 1: Warning 

Violation 2: $5,000 fine

Violation 3: $10,000 fine

Violation 4: $15,000 fine

Violation 5: $30,000 fine

Additionally, the league said that if a player accrues a sixth violation he could be subject to further discipline, including a fine or suspension that is "reasonable under the circumstances."

The league will define flopping as: "Any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player. The primary factor in determining whether a player committed a flop is whether his physical reaction to contact with another player is inconsistent with what would reasonably be expected given the force or direction of the contact."

Also from the statement: "Physical acts that constitute legitimate basketball plays (such as moving to a spot in order to draw an offensive foul) and minor physical reactions to contact will not be treated as flops." 

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is a member of the newly formed competition committee. 

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