The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 letter word LEG
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
E
G
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "where pins are laid" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case where pins are laid = leg.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LEG mean?
LEG noun- A limb or appendage that an animal uses for support or locomotion.
- In humans, the lower limb extending from the groin to the ankle.
- The portion of the lower limb of a human that extends from the knee to the ankle.
- A part of garment, such as a pair of trousers/pants, that covers a leg.
- A rod-like protrusion from an inanimate object, supporting it from underneath.
- Something that supports.
- A stage of a journey, race etc.
- A distance that a sailing vessel does without changing the sails from one side to the other.
- One side of a multiple-sided (often triangular) course in a sailing race.
- A single game or match played in a tournament or other sporting contest.
- One of the two sides of a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse.
- One of the branches of a hyperbola or other curve which extend outward indefinitely.
- (usually used in plural) The ability of something to persist or succeed over a long period of time.
- A disreputable sporting character; a blackleg.
- An extension of a steam boiler downward, in the form of a narrow space between vertical plates, sometimes nearly surrounding the furnace and ash pit, and serving to support the boiler; called also water leg.
- In a grain elevator, the case containing the lower part of the belt which carries the buckets.
- Denotes the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman.
- A branch or lateral circuit connecting an instrument with the main line.
- A branch circuit; one phase of a polyphase system.
- An underlying instrument of a derivatives strategy.
- An army soldier assigned to a paratrooper unit who has not yet been qualified as a paratrooper.
- A gesture of submission; a bow or curtsey. Chiefly in phrase make a leg.
- To remove the legs from an animal carcass.
- To build legs onto a platform or stage for support.
- To put a series of three or more options strikes into the stock market.
- To apply force using the leg (as in 'to leg a horse').
- Making, or having the power to make, a law or laws; lawmaking
- A governmental body with the power to make, amend and repeal laws.
- A legislative building.