NBA highlights flopping and shooters’ landing space in latest officiating guidance

The NBA has identified flopping and the protection of a shooter’s landing space as areas of focus in officiating guidance released September 30 for the 2026-27 season.

Monty McCutchen, the league’s senior vice president and head of referee development and training, narrates the instructional videos. The first covers flopping and defensive closeouts on jump shots, while a second addresses game administration.

How flopping connects to the push-off emphasis

The release follows the league’s September 29 guidance on offensive off-arm push-offs, screens, freedom of movement and straight-line drives. Taken together, the videos put both the contact itself and players’ reactions to it under scrutiny.

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault highlighted that connection after practice Wednesday. In comments reported by Thunder beat writer Rylan Stiles, Daigneault said defenders could try to exaggerate reactions to draw offensive fouls if they know officials are concentrating on push-offs.

Daigneault also stressed consistent enforcement, saying his team would adapt to the way officials apply the guidance.

What happens when officials call a flop?

Falling after a shot is not automatically flopping. A shooter can sit down as a natural reaction rather than an attempt to draw a whistle. In an official teaching example, Buddy Hield does so after a three-point attempt contested by Jarrett Allen; no flopping violation is warranted. Judge the reaction itself rather than treating a player ending up on the floor as proof of a violation.

The in-game penalty became permanent in July 2024. A flopping call awards the opponent one free throw and is recorded as a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul. It does not count toward the two unsportsmanlike technicals that trigger an ejection.

The whistle need not come immediately. Officials can wait for a neutral stopping point rather than interrupt a scoring opportunity. That delay is worth remembering when a penalty is announced after play has moved on.

Can a coach challenge a flopping call?

A flopping violation cannot independently trigger a coach’s challenge. When officials review an eligible called foul, however, they can assess or rescind a nearby flopping violation as part of that review. The connection between the plays matters: the rulebook directs officials to consider the players involved, the distance between the actions and the time separating them.

Why landing-space fouls are not all flagrant

A defender’s closeout can lead to a common defensive foul or a flagrant foul, depending on the contact. The NBA’s video examples distinguish ordinary lower-body contact from reckless contests that invade the shooter’s landing area. They also show a legal contest in which the defender moves his foot away so the shooter can land.

For a flagrant 1, the rulebook requires unnecessary contact; a flagrant 2 involves contact judged both unnecessary and excessive. Releasing the ball does not end the need to protect the shooter as he comes down.

What changes if a landing-space foul is ruled flagrant?

The classification changes more than the description of the contact. Both a flagrant 1 and a flagrant 2 award the fouled team free throws and possession. A flagrant 2 also ejects the offender; a second flagrant 1 in the same game likewise requires ejection. Officials must review the foul on replay before confirming either flagrant classification.

A common shooting foul follows different scoring rules: a made basket brings one additional free throw; a missed two-point or three-point attempt brings two or three free throws respectively. It does not carry the flagrant penalty’s automatic extra possession.

For ordinary non-shooting defensive fouls, use the team-foul bonus explorer to check when the team-foul count triggers free throws; shooting, flagrant and technical fouls follow separate penalty rules.

For example, when a defender fouls a shooter on an unsuccessful three-point attempt, a common shooting foul ordinarily means three free throws. If that contact is ruled flagrant, the penalty includes possession as well as the applicable flagrant free throws. Watch the referee’s final announcement after the review rather than assuming every landing-space foul has the same outcome.

Updated October 2, 2026: Added the free-throw, possession, replay and ejection consequences of common and flagrant shooting fouls.

What to watch in preseason

For viewers, the important distinction is between illegal contact and a reaction designed to draw a whistle. The closeout guidance adds another point to watch: the space available to a shooter coming down after a jump shot.

Preseason offers an early look at how those priorities are applied together during live games.

Updated October 9, 2026: Added an example explaining why a shooter falling after a shot is not automatically a flopping violation.

See below for Part 1 of the 2026-27 Areas of Focus video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Flopping and Closeouts on Jump Shots – Landing Space: pic.twitter.com/Pbma6PyyPi

— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 30, 2026