It may be awkward phrasing, but NCAA-Men's has put out clear guidance through training videos and rules clinics as to what types of plays and actions fall into that category. It is pretty easy for NCAA-Men's officials to adjudicate.

Always A First Time, But Not Tonight In My Game ...
 

Saw this last night as I was observing my friends officiate a state semifinal game. May be the first time any of us saw a 100% contact-free "flop". Player drove down the lane toward a defensive player legally holding his spot. Driving player pulled up at the last split second to go vertical and shoot a soft jump shot. Absolutely no contact. Defensive player, anticipating the contact, leaned back and then feel backward on his butt. Good basket. No call.

The four of us discussed this play after the game. With our many combined years of playing basketball, watching basketball, and officiating basketball, we all agreed that none of us wanted to be the first official in Connecticut to make a "flop" call.

I agree but it took all that video and explanation of the standard. The NF has not made such a standard for what would result in a T if you were to call one. Most plays involve some kind of contact. The problem is the NF rule does not say the standard involves contact or not. That is one reason I have never called a T for this and probably never will until they give some guidance more than what we have now.

Peace

I agree rule sets and officials/associations do a great job of clarifying what they mean. I just personally don't understand phrasing a rule in a way that makes it an impossibility. We all know what they want.

There are enough rules dealing with unsporting behaviour without me trying to decide if a kid fell because they are un coordinated, have no core strength, are a drama major, are hella soft and fall down to avoid getting knocked hard . . . let them lay there and deal with the fall out if I the contact didn't/shouldn't have caused it.

The L (I assume it was the L that was the primary for this play.) was correct in not accessing a TF for "faking being fouled". For our brothers and sisters who are not familiar with my position, reacting to possible conact is: 1) human nature and 2) not "faking being fouled". If one wants to see athletes who are adept at faking being fouled, watch soccer players, especially professional soccer players.

MTD, Sr.

All the posts in this thread do indicate the high frequency of occurrence, the apparent injury risk, and the fundamentally unsporting-ness of the "flop". It is for these reasons that i predict that the " get up" mechanical coupled with it's documented bench warning will trickle down to implementation at the NF level.

@ MTD: !o! @ soccer players exceptional display of "flops".