After Ron Artest was hit with a flagrant foul and ejected as a result of his not-so-vicious takedown of Pau Gasol on Friday night, Bryant and Battier chatted at midcourt about the need to overhaul the NBA's disciplinary system. The crux of their frustration is the perceived ambiguity surrounding what constitutes merely a hard foul and what could result in an ejection or suspension.

"I don't think the league knows, to be honest with you," Bryant said. "I think it's something that must be addressed in the offseason because it's just all over the place. It's just so subjective it's ridiculous."

Bryant's viewpoint typifies that of many in NBA circles in the wake of a 10-day period in which disciplinary discussion has often overshadowed Basketball.

A spate of hotly debated hard fouls committed by high-profile superstars have left players unsure how physical they can be in adhering to the "no layups" mantra their coaches often preach during the postseason.

Rajon Rondo prevented a game-tying layup last week by slapping Chicago's Brad Miller hard enough to require stitches in his mouth, yet the Boston guard did not receive a flagrant foul, let alone a suspension. Not so lucky was Artest, dismissed from Friday's game for upending Gasol even though he took a proper angle to challenge the play and actually made a play on the ball.

"It's too bad that flagrant fouls are getting more attention in most of the series than Basketball," Battier said. "It shouldn't be about that. It should be about the Basketball, but everyone's friend Stu Jackson has found his way into the headlines a little too often for everyone's desire."

The rules clarifying the difference between a personal foul and a flagrant foul leave much to the referee's interpretation. Whereas a personal foul is defined as "contact initiated by the defensive player guarding a player with the ball," a flagrant-1 occurs when that contact is "unnecessary" and a flagrant-2 occurs when it's both "unnecessary and excessive."

What often elevates a foul to flagrant status is when a player winds up or follows through with excessive force when committing it, NBA executive vice president Jackson said.

Jackson said the system doesn't need to be tweaked but acknowledged that the league may need to be more proactive in teaching players, coaches and fans about the nuances.

"The system and criteria are clear, but if the education of the players isn't there, then shame on us," Jackson said. "What we do want is to make sure the players play the game within the rules. It's important for the safety of the players and the entertainment value of our fans, so when we need to intervene we will."

The league's mission to foster a kindler, gentler NBA dates back to the lawless 1980s when brawlers such as Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Johnson and Rick Mahorn turned playoff games into near-street fights. Even when Kevin McHale infamously leveled Kurt Rambis with a clothesline in the 1984 Finals, two free throws were the only penalty.

"When we played, you just didn't give up layups," Rambis said. "That was just part of the game. There were no flagrant fouls. You just attacked people's arms and didn't let them get the ball above their heads."

Rambis supports the NBA's newfound stringency, though he wishes referees would more strongly consider a player's intent instead of the outcome of his foul.

The Lakers assistant cited the ejection of Trevor Ariza earlier this season for knocking down Portland's Rudy Fernandez from behind on a fast-break layup attempt. Fernandez had to be hospitalized with broken ribs, yet Rambis doesn't believe Ariza deserved even a flagrant foul because he was going for the ball on the play.

Twice the Lakers have been assessed flagrant fouls in their second-round series against the Rockets: A penalty-2 on Derek Fisher for dropping Luis Scola with a hockey-style check and a penalty-1 on Bryant for an elbow to Artest's chest.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson worries his players will have to "play with their hands in their pockets" as the playoffs continue, but he isn't even sure how to counsel them since the rules are so subjective.

"They have to fix the system because even the guys announcing the game have no idea if it's a foul, a flagrant-1, a flagrant-2," Jackson said. "I think if you ask players what they can do, I think they'd have no idea."

Reach Jeff Eisenberg at 951-368-9357 or jeisenberg@PE.com

* * *

No. 1 Lakers VS. No. 5 Rockets

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

( Lakers lead series 2-1

Game 1: Rockets 100, Lakers 92 Game 2: Lakers 111, Rockets 98 Game 3: Lakers 108, Rockets 94

Date Site Time TV

Today Houston 12:30 p.m. Ch. 7

Tues. LA 7:30 p.m. TNT

*Thurs. Houston TBA ESPN

*May 17 LA TBA TBA

*If necessary