LAS VEGAS — The NBA’s Board of Governors approved two rule changes that will go into effect next season – a second coach’s challenge if the first is successful, and an in-game flopping penalty – during its annual meeting here during the league’s Las Vegas Summer League.
Both rule changes had been unanimously recommended to the Board of Governors by the league’s competition committee – a group made up of players, union representatives, coaches, governors, executives and referees – to be implemented next season.
Coaches having access to a second challenge is something that teams – and coaches, in particular – have been pushing to have in place for years. Now, if a team gets a challenge correct earlier in the game, they’ll get the chance to get a second one later in the game.
But while teams will still retain the first timeout they have to use to call for the initial challenge, they will not get their timeout back for their second challenge – even if it is successful.
Meanwhile, there will be a new rule implemented to try to curb instances of flopping in games. Now, when a referee calls a flop, there will be a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul called on the offending players’ team, and the opposing team will get a free throw. Referees also won’t have to stop play to call a flop, as they can wait until the next stop in live action, if needed, to make the call.
Possession will not change, however, and flopping violations can’t be directly reviewed by a coach’s challenge. They can, however, be added to a call during a review of a different play.
The league’s pre-existing postgame flop violation structure will stay in place, with the financial penalty for flopping having been changed to mirror that of technical fouls, with fines beginning at $2,000 and increasing for each repeated offense.
Flops called during games, however, will just result in a free throw for the other team.
The flopping rule change will be utilized on a one-year trial basis.
This story originally appeared on ESPN
