The NFL is moving forward with plans to recruit and train replacement referees in the coming weeks after negotiations with the referees' union hit a wall, according to two people briefed on the discussions.

The league and the NFL Referees Association have been locked in contract talks since summer 2024. The current collective bargaining agreement expires May 31.

The Sticking Points

The compensation gap remains the core dispute. The NFL has upped its offer to a 6.45% annual pay increase over six years, but the NFLRA is demanding 10% plus $2.5 million in marketing fees.

The league is also pushing for performance-based compensation, tying bonuses exclusively to top-performing regular season officials rather than spreading year-end payouts across the board. It's also seeking more control over postseason assignments—currently seniority dictates who works playoff games.

The NFL wants to scrap the "dark period," the roughly three-month communication blackout between the Super Bowl and May 15. The league argues expanded access to officials during that stretch would improve performance through rules discussions, video review, and mechanics work.

The union is also resisting the NFL's offer to create some full-time positions, instead demanding what one source characterized as "full-time pay and part-time hours."

Union's Response

NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green fired back, accusing the league of spreading "false and misleading information."

"The bottom line is our officials work for the wealthiest sports league in America, with profits that far exceed any of the others. However, our officials are substantially under-compensated when compared to baseball and basketball umpires and referees. Our officials also aren't provided the health care benefits that those at 345 Park Avenue have."

Green also challenged the league's performance-pay argument, noting that officials who worked championship games and the Super Bowl were paid less for those games than for regular-season contests.

Contingency Plans

The NFL competition committee has proposed a backup measure: allowing the replay center in New York to advise on-field officials about missed roughing-the-passer calls, intentional grounding penalties, and any infractions that should trigger ejections. Owners are voting on the proposal this week.

The league deployed replacement officials for the first three weeks of the 2012 season, a disaster that produced numerous botched calls, including the infamous "Fail Mary" touchdown catch controversy.