can a teammate of the thrower reach across the throw in plane?
 

Apologies for the trivial issue, but it is on the test. Just finished my test, and I disagree with an answer. What think ye?

The throw-in boundary plane is in force only for the opponent(s) of the thrower.

According to 7.6.4, "The opponent(s) of the thrower shall not have any part of his/her person through the inbounds side of the throw-in boundary plane until the ball has been released on a throw-in pass."

According to 9.2.3, "The thrown ball shall not be touched by a teammate of the thrower while the ball is on the out-of-bounds side of the throw-in boundary-line plane"

My strict reading of these two rules says a teammate of the thrower can legally reach through the boundary plane as long as he doesn't touch the ball, and the correct answer is true.

Apparently NFHS disagrees with my reading.

I agree with your reading, I think. You wouldn't call a DOG on the inbounding team. What would you call? Just a violation. Experts, what say ye??

You have cited two rules with one restricting the opponents and the other restricting the teammates of the thrower. So how can you think that the throw-in boundary plane only applies to one of them?

Don't forget 9-2-11...

No teammate of a thrower shall be out of bounds after a designated spot throwin begins.

Where 9-2-3 restricts when the teammates of the thrower may touch the ball, this rule restricts where the teammates may be in the case of a spot throwin.

Perhaps that applies to your boundary situation.

Even if not, the restrictions on the two teams need not be the same for both to have a restriction regarding the plane. In the case of the defense, they simply can't be through the plane until it is released. But for the offense, they can't touch the ball through the plane, even after it is released.

There is a boundary plane for both, but the specific restrictions are different.

I think the question asked about the first half of that statement, not the second.

This was one of my 3 incorrect answers.

There are boundary plane restrictions for both teams from the time the throw-in begins, until it legally ends. They just aren't necessarily the same for both teams.

Agreed. I guess I will have concede one test point to the test writers- they got me. At least I still passed! :)