What is the NBA flopping rule?
The NBA flopping rule lets officials penalize a player who exaggerates or fakes contact to draw a foul. The penalty is a technical foul. In the sources, the league has recently increased its crackdown on flopping, and several players and a coach have spoken about it.
Why it's in the news
The Blazers beat the Lakers in a game that ended with several flopping technical fouls, including one on Ja Morant, who planned to appeal. Steve Kerr has since spoken publicly about the league's new crackdown on flopping.
Background
Flopping means a player falls or throws his body backward or sideways to make it look as if he was fouled when little or no contact occurred. The NBA treats this as unsporting conduct. When an official judges that a player has done this, the player may be assessed a technical foul, which adds a point to the opposing team's total and counts toward the player's total of technical fouls.
The rule is not new in its purpose. The league has long aimed to stop players from misleading officials. The sources describe a newer, stricter approach: the NBA has responded to demands from fans and coaches with a fresh crackdown on flopping, and officials have called flopping technicals in recent games.
In the most recent example, the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Three flopping technical fouls were called late in the game, per the ESPN headline. Ja Morant of Portland was among those penalized, and he planned to appeal his technical foul. Ziaire Williams of the Lakers also received a flopping technical. Steve Kerr, the Golden State Warriors coach, later spoke publicly about the new crackdown.
What people are asking
Is flopping a technical foul in the NBA?
Yes. When officials judge that a player has exaggerated contact to draw a foul, they can call a technical foul on that player. In the most recent game, several players received flopping technicals.
Did the NBA change the flopping rule?
The sources describe a new NBA crackdown on flopping, which the league adopted after demands from fans and coaches. They do not list the exact details of the change, so this page does not describe them.
Who received flopping technicals in the Lakers vs. Blazers game?
Ja Morant of the Portland Trail Blazers was among those penalized, and he planned to appeal his technical foul. Ziaire Williams of the Los Angeles Lakers also received a flopping technical.