Yesterday in a (NCAAW)D-1 game there was a out of bounds play on the baseline. The O team ran a stack play and locked arms so that the D could not line up between them prior to the ball being thrown in.

Is this legal or does the D have the right to line up between them if they want to?

After a quick search in the rule book I could not see anything that said either way if the D had the right to line up to defend where ever they wanted.

This is a play that I have not ever seen or heard of.... Whats your opinion???

Legal or not???

I forgot exactly what it was. I beilieve there is a play in the casebook. I think it says if the line-up starts within 5 feet of the baseline and one of the defenders wants between them, then you can allow them to get between. I am sure you will get the casebook play in a little while.

In FED rules, one reference is 7.6.4.. "Prior to a throw-in on the endline near A's basket, A1, A2, and A3 line up shoulder-to-shoulder parallel to the line and (a) within 3 feet of it, or (b) more than 3 feet from it. In both cases Team B requests space between the Team A players. RULING: In (a), the request is granted and a Team B player may position between each of the Team A players. In (b) the request is denied.

There is also language in the FED rules which enjoins players from linking arms, etc.. Perhaps someone can point to it . . .

Thanks but I am looking for a NCAA inturp or opinion.

4-24-9 and 10-1-11.

Linking arms is illegal and a T.

I don't think FIBA covers this but my ruling would be blocking foul or indirect T (bench T)

The O can't prevent the Defence from getting there positions, so it would be a holding foul, but linking arms could also be considered unsporting that's why a T could be deemed, but like I said this isn't covered in the rules (yet anyway)

Do any of you other college referee's have an opinion about this play?

There is not an applicable rule in NCAA that I could find.

NCAA 7-6-6b and 7-6-6c indicate the spaceing -- if it's parallel, the defense must be allowed between; if it's perpendicualr, the defense is not entitled to be between.

Thanks Bob.. I found it now also

Under FED rules, is it correct that only 7.6.4, which addresses Team A's positioning when making a throw-in on its endline, applies to the matter of inter-positioning? That there's no mandate to inter-position players when throw-ins are along the other 3 boundaries?

No, that is not correct. 7-6-4 uses the the phrase "boundary line", not "endline". So I would take that to mean any of the 4 boundary lines.

You are so right! (I swear I have been doing it right . . .). Read more carefully . . . read more carefully . . .

How's 'inter-positioning' as a candidate technical term for these circumstances?

My books are still packed, but isn't the remedy for this just making it happen and separating the offending parties. The defense has to ask the refs, if memory serves, to force the issue. Also, my understanding is this only gets addressed if the players are parallel with the boundary line. A "stack" play wouldn't qualify, as the line is perpendicular to the boundary line.