Four yellow cards were brandished by the match officials during the 2-2 draw between Gungahlin United and Monaro Panthers, before an altercation kicked off off-field after the final whistle.

Capital Football confirmed it was an alleged racial slur - that officials did not hear during the fixture - that led to the first grade men's incident on Sunday afternoon.

The melee forced match officials to abandon the under 23s match between the two clubs that was due to follow the fixture at Hawker Football Centre.

Capital Football chief executive Chris Gardiner said he was still reading the match reports but he understood an alleged racial slur led to the altercation.

Either way, he said racism and violence had no place in the game.

"There was no abuse to the referees, but the assessment was that the mood at the ground between these two clubs was such that it wasn't appropriate to play the next game," he said.

"So this incident, it's alleged, involved a racial slur, there's no place for that in the game.

"But nor is there any place for players or spectators taking matters into their own hands and getting involved in an altercation, it's bad for the game."

Both clubs involved were contacted for comment but did not wish to do so until Capital Football concluded its investigation into the incident.

An investigation based off Sunday's match report will determine if Capital Football's disciplinary tribunal hands out any individual or club sanctions to Gungahlin and Monaro.

The two sides will not meet again in the remaining five rounds of the season, but if they retain their top-four spots, they could come face-to-face again in finals.

As for the alleged racial slur, as match officials did not hear it during the match, any penalties are dependent on the player who was on the receiving end coming forward.

The round 16 altercation in the men's first grade follows a similar on-field melee last month in the under 23s NPL men's competition that led to a game being abandoned before full-time.

There were three major incidents last year, with two physical altercations in the top men's flight being reported to ACT police, alongside the verbal abuse of a referee earning a side in Canberra's second men's flight a 24-point deduction.

All of the incidents signify a reoccurring theme and a culture the code is struggling to shake in the men's competition.

This is reflected in the suspension register this season. So far, 18 male players, compared to one female, have been sanctioned for either violent conduct or using offensive, abusive or insulting language.

Club culture is set to form part of Capital Football's new plan to address the referee shortage - which saw two NPL matches postponed last month - as match official abuse remains a key factor driving officials away.

Gardiner said the plan, which was set to be implemented in time for next season, would look to help clubs develop their internal culture to try and prevent such incidents from within.

"As [the previous] chair of the tribunal, you unfortunately are aware of these things. You still get one or two incidents a year," he said.

"That suggests that there's a lot more work to be done by clubs in developing player culture.

"So part of our approach next year, generally, will be to also work with the clubs.

"And invest some money in helping them developing their internal cultures, and some of their game management frameworks around clubs and officials."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: