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Watch: High School Basketball Ref Cold Clocks Coach Directly In The Face For Whining About A Bad Call

Source - A high school basketball game turned into a violent brawl over the weekend ... when a referee straight-up punched a coach following a verbal altercation -- resulting in his arrest.

TMZ Sports is told ... the incident went down during a fall league contest between Arlington and Oak Hills at Santiago High School in Corona, California on Saturday, Oct. 21.

At some point in the second half, witnesses claim Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander got upset with referee Brandon Knapper over his officiating ... and an argument ensued.

In a clip we obtained of the game, 26-year-old Knapper -- a former college basketball player at West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and Cal State San Bernardino -- can be seen approaching Alexander near Oak Hills' bench and briefly talking to him ... before unleashing his fist on the coach's face.

The Video:

You know what? Good. Chalk this one up as a win for the small guys. And I'm not condoning violence (although technically maybe I am?), but I cannot tell you how great of a reminder this is for overzealous youth basketball coaches across the country that what they're doing doesn't matter. Unless you're coaching at a Westlake or Montverde, there are no stakes. Nothing happens if the ref makes a bad call. Sure you can argue it, but at the end of the day everyone just wants to go home and get back to their life. The ref wants to collect his $45 check and the kids don't actually give a shit.  

The fallout...

We're told cops responded to the scene … and Alexander was taken to the hospital. The game did not continue.

Law enforcement tells us Alexander requested prosecution against Knapper, who turned himself in and was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury -- both felonies.

Knapper was booked in the Riverside County Sheriff's Department jail on Sunday … and his bail was set at $25,000. He was released on Wednesday.

Oak Hills' Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to TMZ Sports … condemning Knapper's "senseless and shameful" actions.

Knapper is due in court on Nov. 3.

I'd be curious to see whether or not Knapper regrets letting his emotions get the best of him. Deep down…probably not. It probably felt so good to connect on that punch. Oh and here's my disclaimer…"don't punch people in the face. Violence is bad.,..mkay." But I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand where that ref was coming from. Thank god everyone walked out of there relatively unscathed. That's it for this one. Have a lovely Monday.