I have a question on an out of bounds play. I'm sure this has been asked before but I can't find the thread, so I would appreciate any help I could get.

We have an out of bounds play under the basket that we ran the other night. I'm sure it's a play that a lot of teams run, basically my four guys line up shoulder to shoulder in the paint about 6 feet from the baseline. One guy pops out the back and we lob over the top to him.

Well, the other night, my guys set up in this set, the defense saw what we were doing and then tried to push their way between my players. The offical told my players that they had to let then through there and that we couldn't stand shoulder to shoulder like that.

I've always understood that on a play like that, whoever gets position first gets to keep it.

The only rule I can see that applies to this is Rule 7-6-4 which states that teammates may not occupy adjacent positions which are parallel to AND within three feet of the boundry line. Again, we set up about 6-7 feet away from the boundry line so I don't feel this rule applies.

Just would like to know if the official was correct in that situation, and if so what the rule is so that I can adjust my play.

Thanks to all you guys, and gals for your help.

If the situation is as you describe, the defense should not have been afforded a space between the offense. At least that's my understanding of the rules. Also, if the offense lines up in a vertical (perpendicular to the baseline) stack, the defense is not necessarily entitled to a space between the offense either, assuming the offense was there first. Oh, one last thing. I used to use that same play when I was coaching also. Why wouldn't the defense slip a defender through the "screen" when one of the offensive players stepped back?

If they were lined up as you say, then a player pushing through the screens could earn themselves a foul.

So then what could I say to an official that is telling us that we can't lineup like that and that we have to let a defender take that spot.

And Pirate..One of our options is the let the player come through on the screen and flash to the spot he came from for the open look.

Not much except modifiy the play to quicly reset the wall a few feet away after the ball is live. Once the ball is live, they are not going to stop the play.