The NBA league office announced that, as part of its training for officials, it will focus this season on punishing two key types of maneuvers: push-offs and flopping, among several other instructions for referees.
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault have shared their thoughts on the NBA's updated officiating focus for the 2026-27 season. The league announced that referees will place specific emphasis on penalizing flopping, off-arm push-offs by offensive players, and closeouts on jump shots. Both coaches welcomed the effort to curb embellishment while emphasizing the need for consistency from game officials.
Finch urged the NBA to simply stop rewarding non-basketball actions and noted the Timberwolves do not teach players to embellish contact. Meanwhile, Daigneault pointed out that the crackdown on push-offs could incentivize defenders to flop or flail to bait calls. Both coaches agreed that clear, fair enforcement across the league will be the defining factor in whether the updated emphasis successfully improves game flow.
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