A 26-year-old female referee, Mathilde Demoncay, sustained injuries after being struck during a confrontation between players during a friendly football match between French club Metz and Dutch side Fortuna Sittard.

The incident occurred on Saturday at Schlossberg Stadium in Forbach, eastern France, when tensions escalated into a melee following a shirt-tugging incident in the 40th minute.

Video footage shows Demoncay falling heavily after being hit while attempting to intervene, with the referee's own sign reading 'Respect the referee' nearby.

Despite remaining on the pitch for several minutes and briefly resuming duties as an assistant referee, Demoncay was eventually forced to leave the field at half-time.Fortuna Sittard acknowledged the event in their match report as a 'remarkable moment,' while Metz made no mention of the incident.

The event highlights ongoing issues of player conduct and referee safety in amateur football, raising questions about the adequacy of security measures during matches.