ARLINGTON, Texas -- Coach Jason Garrett had to call a timeout when the final practice of minicamp got too competitive.

Defensive end Jason Hatcher and running back DeMarco Murray had to be separated after Murray got in Hatcher’s face to object some play that he thought was too physical during a goal-line drill. NFL rules forbid contact during offseason workouts, and the coaching staff certainly didn’t want a physical practice with no pads.

Garrett responded by blowing his whistle and addressing the entire team in the middle of the field. He reminded the Cowboys that they were supposed to be running a “fit-up drill,” not going full speed.

“As coaches, you’re always explaining to players what you want the tempo to be,” Garrett said. “You guys hear us all the time. We believe in competition in everything we do. That brings the best out in everybody, but at the same time, you have to understand what kind of gear you have on. If you have helmets and jerseys on, it’s more of a fit-up, technique-type practice.

“Sometimes you have to say, ‘Guys, that’s too fast. That’s too hard. That’s not what this drill is all about.’”

The confrontation started when Murray got mad because Hatcher accidentally stepped on his foot, Hatcher said. Hatcher added that it’s “all good” between the teammates. There weren’t any incidents the rest of the practice.

“Stuff like that brings you closer as a team,” Hatcher said. “You’re competing out there. Nobody wants to lose. At the end of the day, it’s going to carry over to the field. The way we compete in practice is the way we compete in the game. At the end of the day, we’re for each other.”