You may notice that sometimes players can let their emotions get the better of them.
And when that happens, they can take it out on an opponent with an overly rough and sometimes even dangerous foul.
This was termed as a “flagrant foul” many years ago, and its penalties are rather stiff to hopefully prevent players from committing them often.
This post will take a look at just what a flagrant foul is, its history, as well as the different types of penalties for flagrant fouls.
What is a Flagrant Foul in Basketball?
A flagrant foul is viewed as a foul that involves strong physical contact that is either deemed unnecessary or excessive and sometimes both.
Flagrant fouls often occur when there is hard contact on a player, especially if it happens to the head or neck area. Even if the contact was unintentional, any forceful contact to this area will oftentimes result in a type of flagrant foul.
Examples of flagrant fouls could be something like creating space by swinging elbows and contacting a defensive player or hip-checking a player as they’re in the air going up for a layup, causing them to land awkwardly.
History of the Flagrant Foul
The flagrant foul was first introduced in the NBA during the 1980-81 season. However, at the time, it was treated much like a common personal foul. The only real difference was that the coach got to pick which of his players got to shoot the 2 free throws.
The league made some changes to the flagrant foul rules for the 1990-91 season. They added that the team who was fouled got to retain possession after the 2 free throws.
Then, in the 2006-07 season, the NBA began using instant replay to review potential flagrant fouls to make sure the call was correct. Officials were now able to either upgrade or downgrade these fouls based on what they saw during instant replay.
Different Types of Flagrant Fouls
Flagrant fouls come in 2 varieties:
a. Flagrant 1
b. Flagrant 2
a. What is a Flagrant 1 Foul?
The key word for a flagrant 1 is “unnecessary.”
If the referees determine that there was some reckless contact that could result in a minor injury, but it was not excessive, then they will call a flagrant 1.
An example of this would be when a defender attempts to block a shot, but during the follow-through, he hits the shooting player in the head.
b. What is a Flagrant 2 Foul?
On the other hand, a flagrant 2 focuses on “excessive” along with “unnecessary.”
If the referees determine that a player was attempting to purposely harm or injure someone due to their excessive actions, then they will call a flagrant 2.
An example of this would be a player who swings his elbows wildly and makes contact with another player above the shoulders.
Penalties for Flagrant Fouls
Penalties for a flagrant 1 and a flagrant 2 are almost the same, with one very key distinction.
For both levels of a flagrant foul, a personal foul will be given to the offending player, and a team foul will be added to his team’s total.
In addition, the player who was targeted on the flagrant foul will receive 2 free throws, and his team will retain possession of the basketball.
The difference is that a player who gets called for a flagrant 2 is automatically and immediately ejected from the game.
NBA players who are guilty of this foul are also subject to getting fined by the commissioner if he deems the contact too substantial.
It is important to note that if the same player receives two flagrant 1’s in the same game, they will also be ejected.
Difference Between Flagrant and Technical Fouls
There is quite a difference between flagrant and technical fouls, both in what actions cause them and the penalties received for them.
As has already been covered, flagrant fouls are called when there is some unnecessary physical contact. On the other hand, technical fouls are typically called for less physical actions and more emotional ones, like profanity, disrespecting an official, or excessive celebration.
The penalty for both types of fouls is also slightly different. A flagrant foul brings 2 free throws and possession of the ball for the team that was fouled. A technical foul, on the other hand, also causes the team to keep the ball, but they receive only 1 foul shot instead of 2.
Conclusion
Flagrant fouls are a part of the game that, hopefully, you don’t run into very often.
They can really change the game, whether because of the stiff penalties associated with them listed in the basketball rules or the injuries that they can cause.
In the end, whether we like it or not, flagrant fouls are a part of the game. And it’s a topic that all players, coaches, and fans should be familiar with so we can keep them as rare as possible.