The NBA has taken a minor step to crack down on intentional fouls
The NBA is now well aware that it has a growing problem with intentional away-from-the-play fouls to send poor free throw shooters to the line. Such incidents are way up from last season and teams no longer target special cases like Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Andre Drummond. It’s a standard practice with evolving applications, including several plays that look so goofy as to hurt the image of the league.
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The NBA’s main office is now taking a minor step to try to curtail one of those especially odd ways of putting a player on the line. At various points this season, coaches have had their players jump on players’ backs during free-throw rebounds in the final two minutes to force poor shooters to go to the line at the other end without triggering away-from-the-play foul rules, which allow the fouled team to get another possession. A new memo from execute VP of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe and executive VP of referee operations Mike Bantom has instructed referees to assess that foul as a potential flagrant:
We have recently seen instances during games in which a player, in order to commit a deliberate foul, jumps on an opponent’s back during a free throw attempt. This is a potentially dangerous play against a player in a vulnerable position.
Please be advised that the referees have been instructed to evaluate such plays under all applicable playing rules, including the rules relating to Flagrant Fouls. Players remain free to commit deliberate fouls during free throw attempts, but such fouls will be assessed as Flagrant if they meet the applicable criteria. (See this memo of October 26 for the factors used in determining and classifying Flagrant Fouls.)
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This interpretation makes sense on the merits — it seems like a bad idea to have large men jumping on the backs of other large men without warning. It’s not the sort of flagrant we’re used to seeing, but a midair collision is not the only form of dangerous play. The league must protect players, and this is one way to do that.
It’d also be very foolish to think they’re only pushing this interpretation to make sure no one gets injured during a high-stakes game of leapfrog. These fouls are embarrassing for the league and the players involved in them, enough so that it would behoove the NBA to do whatever it can to curtail them. In the absence of the ability to change rules without consulting the competition committee (or to reach a clear consensus on what should be done), suggesting another interpretation is a reasonable alternative to getting rid of the play. Coaches aren’t going to risk a flagrant foul in the final two minutes of a close game.
Nevertheless, it’s a minor change in the grand scheme of the intentional foul crisis. Coaches are still going to have their teams foul guys like Drummond several times in a row or explore the rule book to find new ways to send guys to the line in the final two minutes. It will probably get worse during the playoffs, just as it does every year. We’re stuck with these tactics until the league is able to make a host of changes to the rule book.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
