Space between players?
 

At a recent game I watched, during a throw in, two offensive players stood in the lane, one behind the other, so close that a defender could not get in between them. A defender did try to move between, but was not allowed to by the referee.

Are the offensive players required to let a defender move between them on the inbounds play or can they stand together as described? If the defender does have the right to get in between the offensive players, where is the rule/authority that grants the player that right?

Thanks,

Dkmz

The only rule restricting how the players can line up during a throw-in is rule 7-6-4. That states that teammates can't occupy adjacent positions that are parallel to and within three feet of the boundary line if an opponent desires one of the positions. Anywhere else, including in the lane, it's first come, first served. Rule 4-23-1 states "Every player is entitled to a spot on the playing court provided that such player gets there first without illegally contacting an opponent". That's the guiding principle. Once a player or players has legally established their spot(s) on the court, they do not have to move. The officials were correct in this case in not making them do so.

Welcome to the forum.

I saw the same thing in a girls' 8th grade game a couple of weeks ago. B1 tried to shove her arm between A1 and A2, and A2 grabbed her arm and tried to push her out. Mind you, the ball wasn't even administered yet (sigh).

More Information Needed
 

1) Were these these two players parallel or perpendicular to the nearest out of bounds line ?

2) If they were parallel to the nearest out of bounds line, how close were they to said line ?

Given all the information, you'll get a correct interpretation within minutes. Some of our Forum members know the rules and interpretations like the "back of their hands".

Edit: Jurassic Referee beat me by three minutes. I told you these Forum members were sharp.