It started as a scuffle between two rival players when Ahmedabad Electricity Recreation Club were playing against Indian Institute of Management in the Ahmedabad District Football Association senior division league match at the power house grounds.

An AERC player hit an IIM boy, alleging he was hit first. His team mates took up the war cry, saying the referee had changed his decision under pressure from the opposite team. The incensed home crowd rushed in and a manager even hit the referee. The escalated violence resulted in the tournament being postponed, a player being suspended for two matches, and an emergency meeting being called.

The next day, the referee “coincidentally” remained absent from the match, which was between champions Imaculate and the City Police. Encouraged by this and the fact that no action had been taken on the earlier day, City Police went on to play a very violent game.

Despite this, the referee, an Reserve Bank of India player, did not flash any cards at all. The only card shown was a yellow one.

These are just two instances of the increasing violence in football fields today, specially in senior division matches. The fallout is that the senior division matches of the Br Bou tournament have been discontinued and the axe might fall on the Father Donald Dias tournament too.

“We have called an emergency meeting of the ADFA committee and at least three players face suspension sentences. I personally will recommend that,” says Phillip Job, secretary of the ADFA.

But he can't answer why he did not suspend the errant players immediately though he had the power to do so being secretary of the association. All he has to say is that the committee will take the decision at the emergency meeting.

FIFA referee Gulab Chauhan, who was out of station when the incident took place, expressed regret and disgust that such an incident was allowed to happen. Most officials however, refuse to go on record either because they are committee members or government employees who need permission from their employers before saying anything. The association is blamed for not having the guts to do the needful.

Chauhan even goes on to say that the association does not have qualified referees. Phillip repudiates this, saying: “There's no such thing as a qualified referee. Any one who has passed the referees' exams can officiate. Our aim is to promote junior division players. If the matches are held during the week, they will not be able to play.”

Most officials blame the players for the violence. “We have 500-odd players and eight teams. Most of the players want to play. The tournament is suffering because of a handful of players,” says Phillip.

After the violence in the City Police-Imaculate match went unchecked, on Saturday before the first division match of Imaculate B, an Imaculate big-wig urged his players within the officials' earshot to go ahead and hit the referee if they felt the decision was wrong.

If this is the general sentiment, then soon even the ADFA league may stop senior division matches. And who will be the losers?