NBA owners retain flopping penalty, change NBA Cup tiebreakers

NBA team owners voted on Tuesday to permanently implement an in-game flopping penalty used on a one-year trial basis last season and changed NBA Cup tie-breaking measures.

Both measures were recommended by the NBA competition committee, which consists of players, players union representatives, coaches, governors, team executives and referees.

Under the flopping rule, when a referee whistles the penalty, an offending player is charged a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team is awarded one free throw attempt, which can be taken by any player in the game when the call is made.

Players cannot be ejected from a game due to flopping violations, unlike players who are whistled for two unsportsmanlike technical fouls.

Regarding the NBA Cup, overtime scoring was removed from the point differential and total points tie-breakers.

The change was made to promote competitive fairness and begins when the 2024 NBA Cup tips off on November 12.

Point differential and total points scored are the second and third tiebreakers after head-to-head record in group games in deciding which teams advance into the knockout rounds of the in-season tournament, which made its debut last season.

Games going to overtime in group play will now have a zero point differential while overtime points will not count toward a team’s overall point total for tie-breaking.

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