Petrino would only confirm a decision was reached on disciplining Hall, but wouldn’t discuss the details.

“It is something that we are keeping in house,” the first-year coach said.

Shortly after Petrino vowed to keep the matter private, Hall revealed it to some two dozen members of the media crowded around his locker. He clearly believes the coach acted too harshly.

“My agent is working on it with the union and hopefully we can get something worked out,” he said. “I want to be here. I started my career here and I’d like to finish my career here. It’s unfortunate the situation that happened. But you do a little growing. Things are going to happen. Things are going to go against you at times.”

Hall had been jawing much of the game with Carolina’s star receiver, Steve Smith, when the trouble began. For starters, Smith clearly beat the cornerback on a deep pass and was dragged down from behind for a 37-yard interference penalty.

Hall had no reason to complain about that call, but he was still upset when he lined up across from Smith on the next play. While the Panthers were handing the ball off on a run, Hall gave Smith a hard shove to the upper chest while jamming him at the line, drawing a personal foul penalty.

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Three plays later, Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme was sacked for a 9-yard loss, apparently forcing the Panthers into a field-goal attempt. But Hall and Smith tangled again, and Hall was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he wouldn’t stop talking.

The Panthers ran for a touchdown two plays later and kept the momentum the rest of the game.

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Enraged by the penalties, Hall got into it with Petrino and assistant coach Joe Whitt Jr. in a heated argument on the sideline. Three players had to step in to pull their teammate away.

The Falcons’ first-round pick in 2004, Hall had 10 interceptions over the last two seasons and made the Pro Bowl both times. He also won a contest as the league’s fastest player and, like many cornerbacks, isn’t shy about discussing his immense talent or sparring verbally with the receivers he’s covering.

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Things got out of hand against Carolina, overshadowing the fact that Hall held Smith to only one catch for 10 yards.

“He needs to understand that if he plays the way he played on Sunday, people will respect him,” tight end Alge Crumpler said. “I support the guy. He plays hard. He plays with a lot of passion, a lot of emotion. But you can never let it get the best of you on Sundays.”