Crazy scenes unfolded in Ecuador's LigaPro on Saturday evening as referee Alex Cajas was struck in the face and knocked to the ground after awarding a late penalty in the clash between Macara and Aucas.

Whenever a referee makes a controversial call, they must brace themselves for a torrent of protests for the penalised team.

However, the actions of Macara players and staff after Cajas gave a spot-kick to the visitors was completely over the line, sparking chaos that required police intervention.

Cajas awarded the penalty kick following a VAR review where he consulted a pitchside monitor before making a final decision.

As he made his way back onto the playing surface, Cajas was followed by a member of the Macara coaching staff who continued to argue with the official.

The coach then squared up to Cajas and appeared to shove him in the chest. The referee quickly issued a red card to the individual concerned.

This was only the beginning of the madness, though, as a full-scale brawl soon broke out, with other coaches also being given their marching orders.

Per a report from Elcomerico, Macara goalkeeping coach, Hector Lautaro Chiriboga, was the worst offender during the melee.

Footage shows Chiriboga racing over and landing a blow to the face of Cajas, sending him sprawling to the deck.

Watch: Referee assaulted during Ecuadorian LigaPro match

Disgraceful scenes, no doubt, but a number of fans on Reddit accused Cajas of having gone down a little too dramatically.

"He was acting so extra when he got punched, lol. It definitely didn’t “make” him flip. Good for tv though," argued one reply.

"Those all looked like flops. The first one he barely pushed him. The second one he literally didn't touch him," agreed another.

"Is there anything worse than a red card? Because that coach punched him so hard he backflipped," chimed in a third.

A fourth suggested: "His first fall backwards, he wasn't even hit. Guy is legitimately out here working on his acting career."

"The ref was legitimately being attacked but still managed to pull off a dramatic flop," read a final response.

According to The Sun, police with riot shields were called onto the pitch to diffuse the situation, after which play resumed with Cajas in charge.

Aucas eventually scored from their hotly-debated penalty, although the referee later awarded Maraca a spot-kick of their own, from which they equalised some 13 minutes into stoppage time.

The drama didn't end there, either, as there was still time for Cajas to send off two Aucas players in the dying moments of the match.

When the final whistle was blown, following nearly 20 minutes of added time, Maraca secured what was only their third point of the season.

They may find themselves a little light on coaching staff in the weeks ahead, though. We reckon some hefty suspensions are around the corner.

Manchester United v Liverpool preview | Via The Football Terrace