A teenage boy was one of two people arrested after violence broke out at a children's football match.
The brawl was sparked at the football tournament at Bishop Auckland College, County Durham, after a parent is said to have stormed onto the pitch and grabbed one of the players.
The police and ambulance service were called and one boy was reportedly trampled on.
Durham Police said following the incident, a 14-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were arrested and had been bailed pending further inquiries.
Former World Cup referee George Courtney told The Northern Echo: "In all the years I have been involved in local football I have never witnessed arrests like this. The problem is deepening, of that there is no doubt. All you have to do is look at the statistics on assaults on referees.
"Parents must set a good example and the referee must take a tough stance on this kind of abhorrent behaviour."
Tournament organiser Stephen Coulthard said he had never seen anything like it in the 45 years he had been involved in football.
A police spokesman said: "We received a call at around 4.30pm on Saturday, July 9, reporting a disturbance at Bishop Auckland College where a football tournament had been taking place.
"Officers attended and two people were arrested in connection with the incident, a 38-year-old man from Barnsley and a 14-year-old boy from the Bishop Auckland area. Both have been bailed pending further inquiries.
"Any witnesses are asked to contact Bishop Auckland police."