It found no issues of player "player welfare, discrimination, or safety".
The organisation released its decision yesterday.
It came after complaints from a parent that during a game in Dunedin on June 9Â a coach made a player, around the age of 13, "rub their nose in dirt".
Football South chief executive Chris Wright said after a "thorough" investigation it concluded the training method was not "best practice".
This decision was accepted by the club and coach, he said.
However, the team and parents had agreed on the method being used, and it was not targeted at a particular player, he said.It involved players getting into the push-up position when they made a "certain mistake", pressing their noses to the ground and quickly rising and continuing play.
Current best practice was to instead reward players when things were done correctly, he said.
The organisation worked with the coach and club to ensure the method was halted and the coaching team was implementing "best practice", he said.
The board reviewed the evidence supplied and found no issues of "player welfare, discrimination, or safety", he said.
The coach had a "pure intention" of creating a positive environment for the children, he said.
"The parents were clear that the environment they were in was one they were really happy about."
The organisation was happy the issue was raised, he said.It gave the club the impetus to make sure "best practice guidelines" were included in coach education, he said.
This was not about any particular coach, but making sure it was widespread across teams, he said.
It considered the matter closed and thanked the parties involved in the investigation, he said.
The parents said the children enjoyed their time on the team, and asked the community to support the outcome, he said.
The parent who initially complained did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.
