The arm bar is always illegal in high school, Bart. I don't know about NCAA women's. Sometimes I let it go if it's just sort of a body-protection thing, but if there's any advantage gained, such as when the dribbler has the ball off on the left hand side, and has the right arm up in a bar holding off the defender, I call it.
The swim move is just a re-description of something that's illegal in the larger picture, which is using the arms out to the sides to gain position. Arms out to the side is never legal, if there's contact. Bart's description of the defense "swimming" to the front of the post player is a good picture, but don't forget that the offense can equally "start it". The trick is to catch it the first time on the first "stroke". If you let it get to a real swimming motion, where both players are wheeling their arms around each other, it's too late.
Also remember that for a person to have arms out to the sides is illegal, but not until there's contact. If the post player is holding arms out to the sides, and the defender comes up behind, the defender can "draw" a foul by running into the arms, and the ref should call it. But if the defender puts her hand up and moves the offense's arm, that's holding by the defense.
By extension, whoever displaces the other first, should get the call immediately.
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