Club president Steve Burt, who was at the game at RJ Rowley Reserve in Rye, said he and Rye Junior Football Club officials were "dumbfounded" by the decision.

"In no way was it any different from a normal altercation between players in a game of football. It lasted no more than 20 seconds and it was all over.

"The players broke it up themselves. No one was hurt. No one was sent off. No one was reported," Burt said.

"The game had been played in good spirit, with no aggression and there is no history of animosity between the clubs."

The players apologised to each other and shook hands after the game had been halted and there were no recriminations.

Rye, which is third on the ladder, was leading 13.14 (92) to 7.1 (43) against last-placed Mt Martha when the umpires blew the whistle on the match.

The fight started after a tough on-ball tackle. One of the players didn't like it and responded, then it was 'on', with about 20 players involved. There were six under-14 players in the Mt Martha team who did not take part in what Burt called the "altercation".

Burt said that although the senior umpire for the match was a teenager, he was experienced.

"There were other junior matches around Melbourne that were stopped after fights on the weekend and we wonder if the umpires had been told to show zero tolerance. If that's the case, the clubs should have been warned."

The 'result' of the peninsula game is in the record books and Rye's four points will stand.