Had this happen in a game I was watching last nite.

End of game situation. Side OOB throw in. Team A forms the "Line across the free throw line" play. Player B1 starts to push his way between two defenders prior to the throw in. The official blows his whistle and tells Team B to allow Player B1 in between them. Team A Coach goes ballistic and comes onto the floor to tell the official that HIS players have a right to that spot if they get there first. The official says that they have to give space to the defensive player if he wants to get through, similar to a free throw situation. The official then starts play with B1 now wedged in between Team A's line.
Who was right? The official or the coach? ( I was sitting with the supervisor for the conference and he asked me the same question. I said the coach was right and the defensive player should NOT be allowed between the offensive players.)

I dont have my rule book with me, but most of these picket fence plays are legal without allowing the defense in. The exception is when it the line is too close to throw in (less than 3')where the offense would gain an advantage.

What the offense did was legal and the official messed up

The official is wrong, players can stack or line up on a
throw-in as long as they get to the spot first. The offense
cannot line up parallel to and within 3 feet of a boundary during a throw in (7-6-4).

What did the supervisor have to say about coach A going
ballistic & coming onto the court?

Perpendicular- offense has a right to be stacked four deep
Parallel- offense has to give the defense the opportunity if they want a space between players.
Geometry, Never thought I would need it after high school!

Since it was a dead ball, the SUPER wasn't too upset about the coach. He felt he was justified in coming onto the floor to get the officials attention. The SUPER was more concerned with the officials getting the call right as opposed to what the coach was doing.
Fortunately for me, and any possible future assignments, I got the answer correct. If they had NOT been spread across the foul line, they would have had to let the defense in between them.
And who said that just because you score a 40 on the test means you don't know the rules!! HA

This a another basketball myth.
 

Do you have a rule reference, because I know of no such rule? The only rule that I know of is the one Kelvin spoke of, and that doesn't apply to this sitch.

Not clear what you mean here - do you mean if they ahd been parallel and within 3 feet boundary line? Certainly on most of the court you can have a line either way and be legal. It is only in that narrow 3 foot zone by the boudary line that you are in the wrong.

BKTBLLREF-

You are absolutely correct, I was thinking always, but
Rule 8-6-4 states "Teammates shall not occupy adjacent positions which are parallel to and within three feet of the boundary line if an opponent desires one of the positions. The 3 foot restraining line is sometimes the temporary boundary line.

AK ref SE

We had just this situation in a game this weekend. You've seen teams with a big post do it on an inbounds under the offensive basket. The team forms a line parallel to the base line, with the post immediately behind the line of teammates. The inbounder makes a lob pass to the post, who jumps up, and shoots a short jumper. The second time the team set up the play, an opposing player tried to squeeze through the line to front the post. The play quickly turned into a rugby scrum. The ref ultimately called an offensive foul (a push).

Didn't see it so obviously can't call it. But it sounds like bad defense, not an offensive foul. If the defense has all its power set up on the baseline side and nobody sets behind that wall to defend the post, the offense deserves a chance to score. And the defense has no right to push through that wall, any more than they have the right to push through a screen because it prevents them from defending somebody.

I hear ya, Hawks Coach. The funny thing was, when the defender tried to slide through the screen, the two players he was trying to slide through started jostling him backwards. The defender then tried to push his way through the line. Then, the post put his hands on the backs of his teammates and started pushing them (trying to help). I'm not sure who ended up with the foul. Looked pretty funny, though.