There’s probably going to be a huge debate on this one: how far can a youth football coach go to get the attention of one of his players who’s screwing up? Yell at him? Sure.

Grab a jersey or facemask and shake him? Yeah, we bet that’s done all the time.

How about punching him in the stomach and head with a football, knocking the kid–allegedly–to the ground for running the wrong way?

That might cross the line. Your thoughts?

Here’s the full story from CBS in Atlanta:

A Cherokee County father told CBS Atlanta that a coach for a Woodstock recreation football team punched his son twice, after the child ran the wrong direction during a play. Jose Sandoval said that the coach used a football to hit his son, Aurdric, in the stomach and head.

“He definitely went too far,” Sandoval said. “You don’t punch a kid that hard, when you literally knock him off his feet.” Sandoval’s son played for the Woodstock Junior Wolverines, a recreation league for middle school students. Sandoval said that he and his older son rushed onto the field to stop the coach, identified as Doug Mowery in a police report.

“The park has a rule that no parents are allowed on the field,” said Sandoval. “I don’t care what rule you have. When someone is punching your child, the rules are out the window.” Cherokee County School Police investigated the incident, since it occurred on school property. The league, however, is not affiliated with the school district. Police did not file charges.