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A mass on-pitch brawl during a junior league football match in Paraguay resulted in 36 players, including both teams and substitutes, being sent off, ITV.com reports.

In the last five minutes of the game on Sunday, referee Nestor Guillen handed out two red cards, one to a player from each team, but the pair ignored him and continued their fight on the field.

In a matter of seconds the clash spun out of control, involving players from both teams and all substitutes.

"Many of the players that were on the field and on the substitutes' bench, everyone went on to the field to try to control their team mates and even the players from the other team," said Hernan Martinez, president of the home club, Teniente Farina.

Rather than trying to end the brawl, the match officials ran off the field in fear.

For this reason, Martinez believes they had no other recourse but to dismiss all 36 players since they did not stay to identify culprits.