NBA sets flopping penalties; players may be fined
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2012, file photo, Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat, left, of Poland, falls backward to the floor as Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee, right, is called for a charge in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix. The NBA will penalize flopping this season, fining players for repeated violations of an act a league vice president says has "no place in our game." The league said Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, that flopping will be defined as "any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player." (AP Photo/Paul Connors, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2012, file photo, Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat, left, of Poland, falls backward to the floor as Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee, right, is called for a charge in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game in Phoenix. The NBA will penalize flopping this season, fining players for repeated violations of an act a league vice president says has "no place in our game." The league said Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, that flopping will be defined as "any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player." (AP Photo/Paul Connors, File)
NEW YORK >> The NBA will penalize floppers this season, fining players for repeated violations of an act a league official says has “no place in our game.”
Players will get a warning the first time, then be fined $5,000 for a second violation. The fines increase to $10,000 for a third offense, $15,000 for a fourth and $30,000 the fifth time. Six or more could lead to a suspension.
The NBA said flopping will be defined as “any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player.”
The players’ association plans to file a grievance and an unfair labor practice charge, saying economic penalties needed to be bargained with the union first.
