NBA sets anti-flopping rules; union fights it

Reid Cherner and Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

The first taste is free.

But flopping, which used to be a go-to move in the NBA, now could cost a player $30,000 and maybe more.

The league announced on Wednesday a new anti-flopping policy that starts with a warning and steps up to some major money. During the regular season, the steps will be warning for the first violation, $5,000 fine for the second, $10,000 fine for third, $15,000 fine for the fourth and $30,000 fine for the fifth violation.

The National Basketball Players Association is not pleased -- from a collective-bargaining standpoint -- with the league's decision. The players union said in an e-mail early Wednesday evening it will file a grievance with the league and an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board "challenging the new anti-flopping rule implemented by the National Basketball Association."

"The NBA is not permitted to unilaterally impose new economic discipline against the players without first bargaining with the union," NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter said in a statement. "We believe that any monetary penalty for an act of this type is inappropriate and without precedent in our sport or any other sport. We will bring appropriate legal action to challenge what is clearly a vague and arbitrary overreaction and overreach by the Commissioner's office."

The NBA denied wrongdoing.

"Although we haven't seen any filing from the Players Association, our adoption of an anti-flopping rule is fully consistent with our rights and obligations under the collective bargaining agreement and the law," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Tweets ESPN analyst Jalen Rose:

I appreciate rules against "FLOPPING" but dislike the new penalties. Any punishment should happen DURING the game(personal/tech foul)

You must get 16 technical fouls to pay $5k while the 2nd flop has the same fee attached? Don't like it.

A sixth violation could lead to a suspension along with a fine. Discipline for flopping in the playoffs will be announced at a later date.

"Flops have no place in our game -- they either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a 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."

Rightly or wrongly those with reputations as floppers include Anderson Varejao of Cleveland, San Antonio's Manu Ginobili, Phoenix Sun Louis Scola, Houston's Kevin Martin and Miami's Shane Battier.

Said Battier to ESPN: "The unfortunate thing about the block/charge (distinction) is that I've had many, many times where a ref told me that you have to go to the floor to get the call. "By the letter of the law, I've taken a hit, but I've stood on my feet. Even though I've gotten nailed, the ref calls it a no-call. I say, 'Ref, what's wrong with that (charge)?' He says, 'You have to go down to get the call.' "

While fans will most likely be cheering the new rules, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra advises that everyone needs a little education first.

"I would make the argument that anybody who thinks that flopping comes from help-side charges, they're getting the concept of the flop incorrectly," he said. "It's my opinion that what makes the game look bad is when you're trying to trick the referee on the ball, and you're flopping, jerking your head on the ball or offensively when you're doing that. When you're making a help-side rotation and putting your body in there, there's either contact or there's not. If you're getting run over, you're getting run over. There's not as much flopping in those areas, in my opinion. It's all the other areas. We hammer our guys and teach our guys not to do that. Of course, every team has players who do it, and sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don't."