The National Football League will begin recruiting and preparing substitute officials in the coming weeks as contract talks with the referees’ union have reached an impasse, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press.
The sources requested anonymity Sunday due to the confidential nature of the ongoing discussions.
Contract talks between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association have been ongoing since summer 2024, with the existing collective bargaining agreement set to expire May 31.
While the league has raised its compensation proposal to 6.45% yearly increases over a six-year contract, the referees’ union is demanding 10% annual raises plus an additional $2.5 million for marketing fees, according to the sources.
The NFL wants to link official compensation to job performance, ensuring only top-performing regular season referees receive year-end bonuses from a shared pool.
League officials also seek more authority to place their best referees in playoff games. Under the existing contract, seniority plays a role in determining postseason officiating assignments.
Another NFL priority involves reducing the “dark period” – currently a three-month span from the Super Bowl through May 15 when the league cannot contact game officials. The NFL aims to maintain year-round communication for rules clarification, video analysis, procedural training and relevant committee participation to enhance both game quality and official performance.
While the NFL has offered to employ some referees on a full-time basis, one source indicated the union opposes this change, seeking “full-time pay and part-time hours.”
The NFLRA was not available for immediate comment.
As the league prepares for possible substitute officials, the NFL competition committee has drafted a backup plan allowing the New York replay center to alert field referees about overlooked roughing the passer calls, intentional grounding violations, and actions warranting ejections if penalties had been assessed. Team owners will decide on this proposal during this week’s annual meeting.
The league previously employed replacement referees during the opening three weeks of the 2012 season, leading to numerous errors and controversial decisions, including the infamous “Fail Mary” touchdown ruling.
