So what's the call?

[draftnik12]

A player is trying to inbound the ball in front of the opponents bench and his "pass" hits the coach, who is standing up to the right of the inbounder.

Does the coach have the right to stand up there and block about 1/6th of the inbounders passing lane or does he have to give some leeway to the inbounder?

[MalReyn]

It's either out-of-bounds, or a technical foul (interference) on the coach, depending on exactly where he is standing and whether the ball would've gone inbounds but for the coach standing there.

I believe (though I welcome someone to correct me) the default is against the coach on the sideline if they interfere with a play at all. So the call would usually be a technical, unless the ball clearly had no chance of going inbounds and the coach's placement did not affect the inbounder's arm movement at all.

This makes sense because the coach has freedom to move throughout the coach's box, whereas the player can't move his feet once the ref gives him the ball.

[jman3134]

Somehow I got a visual of some player trying to dive after a ball and Bob Knight just swatting the ball away. I support MalReyn's outlook on it- I think it's more of a common sense thing barring some outrageous unsportsmanlike conduct by the coach.

Did this actually happen?