Basketball Flopping Addressed in 2024-2025 NFHS High School Basketball Rules Changes

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https://www.nfhs.org/articles/flopping-addressed-in-2024-25-high-school-basketball-rules-changes/

Flopping Addressed in 2024-25 High School Basketball Rules Changes

A new definition and subsequent warning for faking being fouled (flopping) has been added to the NFHS Basketball Rules Book for the 2024-2025 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. This change does not require schools to purchase new uniforms and may allow some schools to wear current uniforms that were previously not permitted.

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 rule remains in effect while a player holds the ball regardless of whether or not a state utilizes a shot clock.

Other rule 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. The use of electronic devices for voice or video recording is prohibited.

- 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 foul instead of a player technical foul.

- 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

- Pregame violations were addressed in a series of changes in Rule 10. If both teams violate provisions listed in Rules 10-1-1, 10-1-2, and 10-2-7 in equal numbers, the penalties offset, and no free throws are awarded. Additionally, the head coach would not lose the privilege of the coaching box. 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 assessed as it is now a team technical foul and not a bench technical.

 

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Basketball Rule Changes for 2024-2025

1-19: Limits the use of electronic devices used during a game for the purposes of recording and tracking stats, reviewing or diagramming plays, or other similar contest related functions.

Rationale: Clarifies the type of electronic devices that are allowed during the game, prohibiting the use of voice and video recording devices worn during a contest.

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2-11-11: Requires the non-official scorer(s) to compare records with the official scorer when multiple scorers are present.

Rationale: Allows the official scorer to remain focused on game activity and places the responsibility of comparing scoring and other bookkeeping information on the auxiliary scorer(s).

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3-3-6: Requires a player who has been injured to be removed from the game if the coach is beckoned by the official, whether the coach enters the playing area or not, or if bench personnel (i.e., a coach or athletic trainer) enters the court without being beckoned. The coach may still use a time-out to continue assessment of the injury and keep the injured player in the game.

Rationale: Creates consistency for officials that an injured player is subject to removal from the game when an injury occurs, and the coach/team personnel are beckoned or if they enter the court without an official beckoning.

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3-3-7: Allows 20 seconds for a player to address any minor blood on the body or uniform without leaving the game. If the blood cannot be appropriately covered/cleaned within 20 seconds, the head coach may take a time-out to address the issue or substitute for the player.

Rationale: Provides a short interval of time to handle a blood related issue without delaying the game, while still addressing the health-related concerns associated with blood on a player.

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3-4-4a (NEW): Allows the use of a school logo/mascot image to be centered directly above the uniform number in place of an identifying name.

Rationale: Removes the restriction of allowing only lettering on the front of the jersey.

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4-6-1 EXCEPTION (NEW): Creates an exception to basket interference by allowing a player(s) to touch only the net while the ball is on or within the basket provided that the contact did not affect the ball.

Rationale: Allows play to continue unless the contact of the net affects the try for goal.

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4-47-5 (NEW), 10-2-1g (NEW), 10-4-5b: Changes the penalty for failing to immediately pass the ball to the nearer official when a whistle sounds from a player technical to a warning for delay for the first violation and a team technical for any subsequent offense.

Rationale: Allows officials to issue a warning before assessing a technical and the technical will now be assessed to the team and not the player, lessening the severity of the penalty while addressing the behavior.

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4-49 (NEW), 10-2-1g (NEW), 10-4-6f: Changes the penalty for faking being fouled from a player technical to a warning for the first violation and a team technical for any subsequent offense and adds a definition and examples.

Rationale: Allows officials to issue a warning before assessing a technical and the technical will now be assessed to the team and not the player, lessening the severity of the penalty while addressing the behavior.

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7-1-1: Establishes that a player is out of bounds if contact by a teammate or other bench personnel outside the boundary line provides an advantage, allowing the player to remain in bounds.

Rationale: Establishes that a player cannot be assisted from outside the boundary line by teammates or bench personnel to remain in-bounds.

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9-10-1a NOTE (NEW), 4-10: Allows state associations to adopt a modification to the closely guarded rule if they have adopted the 35-second shot clock, allowing players to dribble the ball for more than five seconds while closely guarded and maintain that a player may not hold the ball for five or more seconds.

Rationale: Permits states utilizing the 35-second shot clock to allow players to dribble without enforcing the closely guarded rule since they have a 35-second time limit to attempt a try for goal, maintaining an appropriate pace of play.

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10-1-1 PENALTY, 10-1-2 PENALTY, 10-2-7 PENALTY (NEW), 10-5-1 PENALTY(NEW): Establishes that all administrative, team and bench technical fouls that occur during pregame offset – no free throws are awarded – and the game will start with a jump ball and the head coach does not lose the privilege of the coaching box.

Rationale: Clarifies that an equal number of technical fouls committed by both teams during pregame offset and establishes how the game will start after offsetting technical fouls.

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10-2-7 (NEW), 10-5-1i: Changes the penalty for dunking or attempting to dunk or stuff a dead ball from a bench technical to a team technical.

Rationale: Continues to penalize the offending team with a team technical foul (free-throws, offended team the ball to start the period, a foul added to the team count), but no longer requires the coach to lose the coaching box to start the game and no personal foul is awarded.

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2024-2025 POINTS OF EMPHASIS

1. Bench Decorum

2. Warning for Delay

3. Faking Being Fouled

4. Proper Procedures for Handling Blood