The "FLOP"

[VaTerp]

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

Seeing the term FlOP thrown around a bunch on the boards here lately. I'm not going to get into a language thing as faking being fouled is problematic as well.

However, I'm not sure we all mean the same thing.

I would not consider the following faking be fouled:

1- Player in anticipation of contact begins to move away from the contact but contact never happens, however players movement away results in in them falling to the ground.

2- Player gets hit and chooses to absorb minimal contact by moving backwards or going to the ground.

I don't understand how "a player's movement away (in ANTICIPATION of contact) results in them falling to the ground" unless they are flopping or just extremely lacking in coordination.

Also, "choosing to go the ground to absorb MINIMAL contact" also sounds like flopping to me.

But overall, I think you are overthinking this. I've seen, played, officiated, and coached enough basketball in the last 30 years to be very confident in my judgement of whether someone is flopping or not for the purpose of adjudicating fouls. This includes defenders who try to get PC fouls by feigning non existent contact or embellishing legal contact. Offensive players who do the same such as the head throw back on the dribble.

So just call the foul based on what you see. Or are we talking about issuing technicals based on the letter of the law?

Maybe I'm just confused on what's actually at issue here.