ALLEN PARK -- Lions defensive end Cliff Avril wants to know one thing: Is it possible to hit too hard?

Referee Ed Hochuli apparently thinks the answer is yes.

A day later the Lions were still shaking their heads over the botched call by Hochuli on Sunday in their loss to the Bears.

“It definitely looked like a legal hit. I didn’t know you hit guys too hard in football,’’ Avril said. “It is what it is, it’s unfortunate they called it and that’s that.’’

Ndamukong Suh was penalized for pushing quarterback Jay Cutler down with both hands from behind. His hands were on Cutler’s back, not his helmet.

Hochuli called it a “non-football act” and no one is exactly sure what that means.

“I know he wasn’t hit in the head and I know he wasn’t going down, I know that for sure,’’ Lions coach Jim Schwartz said on Monday. “Non-football act? We really don’t know what the definition of that is. I’ve not seen a definition of non-football act before.’’

It’s the fourth personal foul called on Suh this season.

The play was replayed several times during Monday’s defensive line meeting.

Avril said their only advice for Suh is to keep hitting and playing hard.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)