Flop (basketball)
Encyclopedia
In basketball
, flop is a pejorative
term that refers to a defensive player intentionally falling backward to the floor upon physical contact with an offensive player. The hope is that it will appear to the official
that the defensive player was knocked off of his feet by the offensive player's contact, thus prompting the official to call a charging foul against the offensive player. Flopping can also refer to the offensive player who simulates fouls against the defensive player.
The move is also sometimes called acting, as in "acting like he was fouled". Because it is inherently designed to deceive the official, flopping is generally considered to be unsportsmanlike
. Nonetheless, it is widely practiced and even perfected by many great professional players.
Flopping effectively is not easy to do, primarily because drawing contact can sometimes result in the opposite effect—a foul called on the defensive player—when too much contact is drawn or if the player has not positioned himself perfectly. Additionally, even if no foul is called on either player, by falling to the floor, the flopping defensive player will have taken himself out of position to provide any further defensive opposition on the play, thus potentially allowing the offense to score easily. To consistently draw offensive fouls on opponents takes good body control and a great deal of practice. Players generally become better at flopping as their careers progress.
The National Basketball Association
or NBA added a rule in 1997 to cut down on flopping near the basket, adding a 4-foot (1.22 meter) "dotted line area" around the center of the basket to help prevent flops. Such flops are charged as blocking fouls or no-calls.
Unlike the NBA, the penalty for "flopping" under FIBA
rules is a technical foul
. (FIBA rules state that would count as one of a player's five fouls (6 in a 48-minute game in some countries) towards being taken out of the game. In the NBA technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct count as one towards the two to ejection or seven to suspension.)
On May 28, 2008, the NBA announced that it would impose fines on players who show a clear case of flopping and suspensions for repeat offenders.
. In a 2008 interview, when he was with the Detroit Pistons
, he complained:
On November 28, 2009, Wallace, by this time with the Boston Celtics
, again made sports news wires when he claimed that Hedo Türkoğlu, then with the Toronto Raptors
, duped the officials into giving Wallace his fifth technical
of the season
by flopping:
At the time, Wallace was the NBA's career leader in both technicals and ejections, but went on to claim that some of those calls stemmed from his reputation, and also believed that a technical called in the same game on his Celtics teammate Paul Pierce
was sketchy at best:
Commissioner David Stern
has complained about flopping because it's a way to fool the officials, but the league has been unable to find a way to punish or prevent it. And, although Stern agreed with Wallace in principle, the league fined Wallace $25,000 for the 2008 outburst (because of the obscenities) and $30,000 for the second.
Shaquille O'Neal
loathes opponents who resort to flopping. He criticized Dikembe Mutombo
, the 2000-2001 Defensive Player of the Year
, in the 2001 NBA Finals
and Vlade Divac
in the 2002 Western Conference finals for their theatrics. O'Neal said he would never exaggerate contact to draw a foul. "I'm a guy with no talent who has gotten this way with hard work." In a 2006 interview in Time
, O'Neal said if he were NBA commissioner
, he would "Make a guy have to beat a guy--not flop and get calls and be nice to the referees and kiss ass." However, in a matchup against the Orlando Magic
on March 3, 2009, O'Neal flopped against center Dwight Howard
. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
was "very disappointed cause [O'Neal] knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight." O'Neal responded, "Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching."
earned a reputation as a premier flopper and is often found at or near the top of lists ranking the greatest floppers in NBA history. Even one of Divac's own countrymen and former teammates, Peja Stojaković
, referred to him as "the father of flopping."
In college basketball
, Duke
was named by Sports Illustrated
in 2009 at the top of its list of the "Top 10 Flops" of the 2000s—a list otherwise reserved for players, teams, or other sports figures who spectacularly failed to live up to expectations—because of the team's perceived tendency to flop in order to draw fouls.
Other players who have been named as premier floppers include:
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, flop is a pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
term that refers to a defensive player intentionally falling backward to the floor upon physical contact with an offensive player. The hope is that it will appear to the official
Official (basketball)
In basketball, an official is a person who has the responsibility to enforce the rules and maintain the order of the game. The title of official also applies to the scorers and timekeepers, as well as other personnel that have an active task in maintaining the game...
that the defensive player was knocked off of his feet by the offensive player's contact, thus prompting the official to call a charging foul against the offensive player. Flopping can also refer to the offensive player who simulates fouls against the defensive player.
The move is also sometimes called acting, as in "acting like he was fouled". Because it is inherently designed to deceive the official, flopping is generally considered to be unsportsmanlike
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...
. Nonetheless, it is widely practiced and even perfected by many great professional players.
Flopping effectively is not easy to do, primarily because drawing contact can sometimes result in the opposite effect—a foul called on the defensive player—when too much contact is drawn or if the player has not positioned himself perfectly. Additionally, even if no foul is called on either player, by falling to the floor, the flopping defensive player will have taken himself out of position to provide any further defensive opposition on the play, thus potentially allowing the offense to score easily. To consistently draw offensive fouls on opponents takes good body control and a great deal of practice. Players generally become better at flopping as their careers progress.
The National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
or NBA added a rule in 1997 to cut down on flopping near the basket, adding a 4-foot (1.22 meter) "dotted line area" around the center of the basket to help prevent flops. Such flops are charged as blocking fouls or no-calls.
Unlike the NBA, the penalty for "flopping" under FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
rules is a technical foul
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
. (FIBA rules state that would count as one of a player's five fouls (6 in a 48-minute game in some countries) towards being taken out of the game. In the NBA technical fouls for unsportsmanlike conduct count as one towards the two to ejection or seven to suspension.)
On May 28, 2008, the NBA announced that it would impose fines on players who show a clear case of flopping and suspensions for repeat offenders.
Flopper controversy
One of the most vocal complainers about flopping in the NBA has been the recently retired Rasheed WallaceRasheed Wallace
Rasheed Abdul Wallace is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association...
. In a 2008 interview, when he was with the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, he complained:
On November 28, 2009, Wallace, by this time with the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, again made sports news wires when he claimed that Hedo Türkoğlu, then with the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, duped the officials into giving Wallace his fifth technical
Technical foul
In basketball, a technical foul is any infraction of the rules penalized as a foul which does not involve physical contact during the course of play between players on the court, or is a foul by a non-player. The most common technical foul is for unsportsmanlike conduct...
of the season
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
by flopping:
At the time, Wallace was the NBA's career leader in both technicals and ejections, but went on to claim that some of those calls stemmed from his reputation, and also believed that a technical called in the same game on his Celtics teammate Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce
Paul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
was sketchy at best:
Commissioner David Stern
David Stern
David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...
has complained about flopping because it's a way to fool the officials, but the league has been unable to find a way to punish or prevent it. And, although Stern agreed with Wallace in principle, the league fined Wallace $25,000 for the 2008 outburst (because of the obscenities) and $30,000 for the second.
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
loathes opponents who resort to flopping. He criticized Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo , commonly referred to as Dikembe Mutombo, is a retired Congolese American professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the NBA...
, the 2000-2001 Defensive Player of the Year
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1982–83 NBA season, to the top defensive player of the regular season...
, in the 2001 NBA Finals
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
and Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is a retired Yugoslav and Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA. At , he played center and was known for his passing skills...
in the 2002 Western Conference finals for their theatrics. O'Neal said he would never exaggerate contact to draw a foul. "I'm a guy with no talent who has gotten this way with hard work." In a 2006 interview in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, O'Neal said if he were NBA commissioner
Commissioner of the NBA
The Commissioner of the NBA is the chief executive of the National Basketball Association. He is elected by the NBA owners.-Maurice Podoloff :Maurice Podoloff was the first president of the National Basketball Association...
, he would "Make a guy have to beat a guy--not flop and get calls and be nice to the referees and kiss ass." However, in a matchup against the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
on March 3, 2009, O'Neal flopped against center Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
Stan Van Gundy
Stanley A. "Stan" Van Gundy is the head coach of the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. From 2003 to 2005, he was the head coach of the Miami Heat but resigned in 2005 mid-season, turning the job over to Pat Riley...
was "very disappointed cause [O'Neal] knows what it's like. Let's stand up and play like men, and I think our guy did that tonight." O'Neal responded, "Flopping is playing like that your whole career. I was trying to take the charge, trying to get a call. It probably was a flop, but flopping is the wrong use of words. Flopping would describe his coaching."
Famous floppers
Vlade DivacVlade Divac
Vlade Divac is a retired Yugoslav and Serbian professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA. At , he played center and was known for his passing skills...
earned a reputation as a premier flopper and is often found at or near the top of lists ranking the greatest floppers in NBA history. Even one of Divac's own countrymen and former teammates, Peja Stojaković
Peja Stojaković
Predrag Stojaković , also known by his nickname Peja , is a Serbian professional basketball player who last played for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association . Standing at 6 ft 10 , Stojaković plays the small forward position...
, referred to him as "the father of flopping."
In college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
was named by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in 2009 at the top of its list of the "Top 10 Flops" of the 2000s—a list otherwise reserved for players, teams, or other sports figures who spectacularly failed to live up to expectations—because of the team's perceived tendency to flop in order to draw fouls.
Other players who have been named as premier floppers include:
- Danny AingeDanny AingeDaniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
- Shane BattierShane BattierShane Courtney Battier is an American professional basketball player . He most recently played with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. He has also been a member of the U.S...
- Raja BellRaja BellRaja Bell is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Utah Jazz of the NBA. Bell is known for his three-point shooting and intense defense.- Biography :Bell was born in Saint Croix, in the U.S...
- JarronJarron CollinsJarron Collins is an American professional basketball player.-High school career:Collins and his twin brother Jason graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California...
and Jason CollinsJason CollinsJason Paul Collins is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Atlanta Hawks. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School, where his backup was actor Jason Segel...
, named by Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
in 2009 as the NBA's worst floppers - Derek FisherDerek FisherDerek Lamar Fisher is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won five NBA Championships...
, of whom Divac said, "I think he does a better job of that [flopping] than I do." - Manu GinóbiliManu GinobiliEmanuel David "Manu" Ginóbili is an Argentine professional basketball player. Coming from a family of professional basketball players, he is a member of the Argentine men's national basketball team and the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association .Ginóbili spent the early part of...
- Robert HorryRobert HorryRobert Keith Horry Jr. is a retired American basketball player and current sports commentator. He played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association , winning seven championships, the most of any player not to have played on the 1960s Boston Celtics...
- Bill LaimbeerBill LaimbeerWilliam "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships...
- Kevin MartinKevin Martin (basketball)Kevin Dallas Martin, Jr. , is an American professional basketball player currently with the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He is known for his knack for scoring, deceptive quickness and unorthodox style of shooting.-High school and college:...
- Reggie MillerReggie MillerReginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
- Greg PaulusGreg PaulusGregory Russell Paulus is video coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team. Paulus is a former multi-sport athlete, playing college basketball as a point guard on the Duke University men's basketball team and later football at Syracuse University as a quarterback after...
(at Duke) - Dennis RodmanDennis RodmanDennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
- Luis ScolaLuis ScolaLuis Alberto Scola Balvoa is an Argentine professional basketball player. The power forward-center for the Argentine national team is currently signed with the NBA's Houston Rockets. He formerly was a Euroleague star with the ACB's Saski Baskonia...
- John StocktonJohn StocktonJohn Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
- Anderson VarejãoAnderson VarejãoAnderson França Varejão is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He won the gold medal with Brazil at the 2003 Pan American Games.-1998–2001 :...
External links
- ESPN's Page 2 on "The Art of Flopping" The article includes the columnist's opinions about who are the best (i.e. most egregious) floppers.
- This American Life "Crybabies", Act Two chronicles the phenomenon of basketball flopping and its origins.