Gauging Distance???
 

Have you ever heard that a defender can put hands on an offensive player to gauge distance?

If you have a rule reference that would be great.

If he does, he'd better get them off immediately. The way it's taught to us here, the defender can "measure up," but can't leave the hands there.

Frankly, I don't understand the concept but that's how I call it. Why does a player need to use his hands to know how far his opponent is when he's looking right at him?

Would this be considered as "hot stove" where the defender makes contact then breaks it immediately only to keep doing it?

The practice was called "tagging". From an old POE in the 2001-02 rulebook--<i>"The measuring up of an opponent(tagging) is hand-checking, is not permitted, and is a foul."</i>

While technically a foul, in real life it's usually ignored if the hand comes off immediately, no displacement is involved and the hand stays off during the same sequence. Note that it's not regarded as incidental contact by the rulesmakers because they feel that an advantage is being gained by a defender who uses it.

Legal in NCAA Women's
 

This is allowed under NCAA Women's Rules. The reference is the 2010 NCAA Rules Book, Appendix III Officiating Guidelines, Section 5 (Women Only) - Displacement:

Ball Handler or Dribbler
a. Definition. A ball handler or dribbler is any player with player control
(holding or dribbling) outside the lane area, either facing or with her
back to the basket. An arm-bar is contact with the forearm that is away
from the body.
b. Legal activity. The following are examples of legal activity:
1. A one hand “measure up” by the defense. This means, one hand
(front or back of the hand) contacting the ball-handler/dribbler and
immediately removing that hand. Also known as a “hot stove” touch.
This is the ONLY hand contact that is legal by the defense and is
considered incidental.
2. When a dribbler makes a move past a defender, and the defender’s
arm, which is against her own body, makes incidental contact with
the dribbler. Bodies may momentarily touch as long as there is no
displacement.
c. Illegal contact. A foul shall be called when:
1. The defender contacts the ball-handler/dribbler ANYTIME with two
hands.
2. The defender places a hand (front or back of the hand) on the ballhandler/
dribbler and keeps it on.
3. The defender contacts the ball-handler/dribbler more than once with
the same hand or with alternating hands.
4. The defender contacts the ball-handler/dribbler with an arm-bar.
5. Any displacement, holding or pushing occurs by either the offense or
defense.

I suspect it may be because coaches often teach defenders to be "arms length away." If the idea is to apply pressure on the ball, you have to be close enough to touch 'em.

Also... if you believe a player can't gain a small momentary advantage with a split second touch, you'd be incorrect. When I was a freshman in HS (32 yrs ago), my coach taught me a sneaky & effective tactic to use when getting beat off the dribble. At the point when the dribbler is closest to the defender (going by) and almost touching, you place your finger tips of your inside hand on the dribblers close hip bone, but just for a split second. The hand, wrist and forearm are stiff and unyielding. It's just a split second touch, but it can significantly disrupt the advantage the offensive player had gained.

Very often in this situation when getting beat off the dribble, we see the defenders hand momentarily on the dribblers hip, and then off again. Probably most of the time it's a benign, limp wristed touch. Honestly, the only way to tell the difference is if the "touch" on the hip causes a slight rotation from the force applied to the hip.