Fran Fraschilla goes on in-game rant about NCAA flopping rules during Texas vs Gonzaga

With 15:03 to go in Texas vs. Gonzaga Wednesday night, officials called Longhorns forward Timmy Allen for a flop, resulting in a Bulldogs technical free throw. That call didn’t sit well with Fran Fraschilla, who was on the call for the game.

Fraschilla went on quite a rant toward the officiating crew for making the call. On the play, it appeared as though Gonzaga guard Julian Strawther might have extended his arm a bit, meaning Allen could have drawn contact. Ultimately, the officials called a technical foul, and it resuled in free throws immediately due to new NCAA Rules.

Fraschilla didn’t hold back with his thoughts on the call.

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“I do not think that is a flop,” Fraschilla said on the ESPN2 broadcast. “I’m telling you, this rule drives me nuts, and that’s a good official who’s made the call. I understand they’re calling it early. But that arm was extended. I don’t care if there’s a little bit of contact, we used to teach our players how to take a charge. And when that arm got extended, that is not a good call, in my opinion. I do not like that call. … He’s allowed to fall back. He did not flop.

“We used to teach our guys to lift their toes off the ground on contact so you don’t get hurt. That arm’s extended. There’s no way you can call a flop. … It’s going to get called in an NCAA Tournament game. It doesn’t mean anything in a 17-point game. And this is a Final Four crew.”

Later in the half, another instance occurred when a player hit the hardwood. Fraschilla joked he wasn’t sure if it was a flop, a foul or a no-call. Officials ended up ruling a charge, but he again took an opportunity to call out the flopping rule.

“I’m going to be confused on what they call early in the year, but that’s clearly a charge,” Fraschilla said. “I didn’t like the rule when they put it in. I really don’t. And Tad Boyle, the coach at Colorado who’s on the rules committee, he said the intent of the rule is you don’t want players tricking the officials. When you take a legitimate charge, even if you fall down a little bit, I don’t know how you can call that a flop.”