Four On The Floor ...
 

Pleased to meet you. I actually don't object to what you did, but may I ask why the head coach couldn't be the head coach from his wheelchair in the coaching box? Here, in my little corner of Connecticut, we have a high school varsity head coach in a wheelchair and he does everything a head coach does, legally, in his wheelchair, in his coaching box. You haven't lived until you "serve tea" to a head coach in a wheelchair. Man, does that crowd boo, with the booing coming from fans of both teams. Makes you want to run and hide behind the police officer in the corner of the gymnasium, but he's booing too.

Here he would have gotten to go get his V team ready early. Buh-bye.

I'd toss a coach too. Does he want us to mop the gym after the game too?

That would be me.
 

That would be me. Unless the HC was going to just sit (pardon the obvious) and only the AC would be moving around the box then I would address it.

I have officiated several games with a team in our area from a totally deaf school. In the first game when I advised the bench that only the HC could stand they informed me they had 3 co-head coaches. I told them to choose 1 for today to serve as HC and the others would need to sit. In another game the chosen HC would walk 10 feet onto the court in front of the table during live action to communicate (sign language) with his team. My partners and I had already agreed to give him some leeway by extending his box but he took it too far and needed a stern warning before he got it. Last game, my partner informed the HC a player had fouled out by telling an intrpreter and by specifically flashing the players number to the HC's face from about five feet away. HC calls time out and when we come out of it to shoot free throws who lined up in the lane? That's right and it earned them a T. HC claims he misunderstood but I feel we were very clear with him.

In discussions with other refs who have worked their games a pattern has developed and there may be a purposeful effort to take advantage of our good intentions. Having taught special needs students for almost 20 years I have learned that for the most part they WANT to be treated just like every one else. And to me that means that rules are rules (except for reasonable or approved accomodations) and I enforce them that way. To do any thing else is unfair to other contestants and borders on offensive to he special needs community.

First, very tight quarters. The coaching box was less than a foot deep. Second, this was not a fit coach who used his arms freely to move the chair. This was a joystick-operated (for the lack of a better term) chair with little moving space around him. The HC was pretty much stuck in his spot for the entire game.

Coaching box in a middle-school game?

Most states use the box at all levels. We're the "strange one" in that regard.

Such as they are, often times. Sideline space is very cramped at some places.

In a middle school game, I have no problem with making some allowances; until such time as the AC decides to officiate while standing.

In a high school game, however, I'd be inclined to let them know that only the HC gets to call TOs and stand in the box to coach. So, if the AC decides to play HC, he will be the one requesting TOs.