Flopping addressed in 2024-25 high school basketball rule changes

INDIANAPOLIS — A new definition and subsequent warning for faking being fouled (flopping) has been added to the NFHS Basketball Rules Book for the 2024-25 season. This revision to high school basketball rules was one of 12 changes approved by the NFHS basketball rules committee at its April 9-11 meeting in Indianapolis. All recommended changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. "The committee approved changes addressing a variety of different areas," said Lindsey Atkinson, NFHS Director of Sports. "Maintaining a focus on player safety, fairness, balance and rules that officials can effectively adjudicate continue to be the focus of the committee." Faking being fouled is defined in Rule 4-49-1 as when a player simulates being fouled or makes theatrical or exaggerated movements when there is no illegal contact. Examples include, but are not limited to, embellishing the impact of incidental contact on block/charge plays or field goal attempts, using a "head bob" to simulate illegal contact and using any tactic to create an opinion of being fouled to gain an advantage. The new language also establishes a procedure for officials to issue a team warning on the first instance of faking being fouled. The warning is recorded in the scorebook and reported to the head coach. Any additional instances will result in a team technical foul and not a player technical foul, which was previously the case. "(The committee) is hoping to get those dishonest acts out of the game," said Billy Strickland, the executive director of the Alaska School Activities Association and chair of the Basketball Rules Committee. A change to Rule 3-4-4a removes the restriction of only lettering being allowed on the front of the jersey. If a logo or mascot is displayed on the front, it must be centered directly above the number in place of identifying names. A new note to Rule 9-10-1a and edit to Rule 4-10 allows states that utilize a 35-second shot clock to choose to eliminate the five-second closely guarded provision while a player dribbles the ball. The closely guarded rules remain in effect while a player holds the ball regardless of whether or not a state utilizes a shot clock. Other rules changes approved by the committee include the following: Rule 1-19 clarifies that the use of electronic devices during the game must be limited to recording and tracking stats, reviewing plays or similar contest-related functions. Rule 2-11-11 notes that if multiple scorers are at the scorer's bench, the scorer(s) that is not official is responsible for comparing records with the official scorer, who then would notify a referee immediately of a discrepancy. This allows the official scorer to remain focused on game play and places the responsibility of comparing scoring information on auxiliary scorers. Rule 3-3-6 states that if bench personnel are beckoned to attend to an injured player, whether they enter the court or not, the player is subject to removal from the game unless the coach requests a time-out. If a player is bleeding or has blood on the uniform, Rule 3-3-7 now allows the player to remain in the game if the issue can be resolved in 20 seconds. A new exception to Rule 4-6-1 involving basket interference allows for the net to be contacted and play continue if the official determines the contact to not affect the try for a goal. A collection of changes to rules 4-47-5, 10-2-1g and 10-4-5 allows officials to issue a team warning for delay of game when a ball is not immediately passed to an official when a whistle sounds. Any subsequent violations now result in a team technical instead of a player technical. Rule 7-1-1 establishes that a player cannot be assisted by a team member or bench personnel outside the boundary line to remain inbounds. Additionally, the head coach will not lose the privilege of the coaching box for pregame technical fouls. Similarly, the penalty for dunking or attempting to dunk a dead ball in Rule 10-2-7 no longer requires the coach to lose coaching box privileges and no personal foul is awarded as it is now a team technical and not a bench technical. According to the 2022-23 NFHS participation survey, basketball is the third-most popular sport for boys with 537,438 participants in 18,369 schools, and the fourth-most popular sport for girls with 373,366 participants in 17,881 schools.