The incident happened Sunday at Licking Valley High School.

A Pataskala man who coaches youth football was arrested Sunday on assault charges involving a youth football referee.

Thirty-seven-year-old Christopher Deason is accused of threatening to punch the opposing coach in the jaw and pushing with both hands against the chest of the referee.

Witnesses told the Licking County Sheriff's Department that Deason came running across the field claiming that a referee had struck one of his players.

It all started when witnesses told deputies that a player from Watkins and Licking Valley got into a fight during the game.

The referee told deputies he stepped in to separate the two kids and that's when the coach assaulted him.

The referee denied he struck a child and Deason was arrested and charged with assault.

Parents who were watching the fight immediately called 911.

Deason appeared in Licking County Municipal Court and entered a plea of not guilty and was released from jail.

The judge ordered him to no longer coach youth football but he wasn't banned from attending games.