The two children’s teams involved have been thrown out of a tournament because of the ugly scenes and the Football Association is investigating.
Trouble flared during the under-10 quarter-final between Platt Lane City, based in Manchester, and Merseyside team Litherland Tigers.
When a late tackle went unpunished both sets of parents surged on to the pitch in Blackpool, Lancashire.
A witness said: “They were having a go at each other, but then turned on the referee. They were swearing at her and saying some disgusting things. The poor girl was in floods of tears.”
Tigers chairman John Ellison, who was not at the game on Saturday, blamed the traditional rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool. He said: “We will be writing to the girl who was refereeing and her mother to apologise for what may have happened.”