The head coach of Nihon University's football team said he will quit after he apologized to a Kwansei Gakuin University player on Saturday over a controversial play.

Speaking to reporters at Osaka's Itami airport, Masato Uchida said he would resign to take responsibility for a play in an exhibition game on May 6 in which one of his players tackled Kwansei Gakuin's quarterback from behind long after he had released the ball.

A video of the play went viral in Japan and a number of schools have subsequently canceled games against Nihon University, which is known as Nichidai.