The distinction between a flagrant and a technical foul is that technicals are typically not linked to the basketball game itself, but rather to post-game altercations involving players, coaches, and officials. Flagrants are much more serious violations of baseball's rules and carry greater penalties. They include actions such as hitting a player with an open hand or swinging at a thrown object. Here is how the NBA defines a flagrant foul: "A flagrant foul is any violent act that is committed by a person who is involved in the game, including the coach, manager, administrator, player or official, which violates the laws of baseball and causes injury to another person." A technical foul is defined as "any verbal abuse directed toward an official or other inappropriate action that does not result in injury to anyone." Flagrants receive a minimum suspension of five games, while technical foulists can expect to sit out one game. However, some flagrants result in suspensions of several months or longer. The severity of these punishments depends on various factors such as how many flags are thrown by an individual player, what type of flag is issued (e.g., hand gesture, word used in anger), etc.