Flop (basketball)

In basketball, a flop is an intentional fall or stagger by a player, after little or no physical contact by an opponent, to induce an official to call a personal foul on the opponent.^[1] The move is sometimes called acting, as in "acting as if he were fouled". Because it is inherently designed to deceive the official, flopping is considered unsportsmanlike, but it is widely practiced. The player who commits the act is called a flopper.

Flopping effectively is not easy to do, primarily because drawing contact sometimes results in the opposite effect—a foul called on the defensive player—for making excessive contact or not being in the correct position. Also, if no foul is called on either player, by falling to the floor, the flopper cannot provide further defense, making it easier for the offense to score. To consistently draw offensive fouls on opponents takes body control and practice.