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2h ago

NFL, Referees Union Set Thursday Vote on Deal to Avert Replacement Crews

Ratification would remove the need for replacement officials, sidelining the emergency rule that gave New York real-time authority over calls.

Image
Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Referees talk on the field after a fight between the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Overview

  • The NFL Referees Association, which scheduled a Thursday night ratification vote, will decide whether to approve a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.
  • If approved, the deal would void a one-year measure that lets league staff in New York change on-field calls in real time only when replacement officials work games.
  • Talks had stalled in March, prompting the NFL to recruit alternates from lower-college ranks and begin onboarding them last month as a contingency.
  • Money has been the core dispute, with AP reporting the NFL offered 6.45% annual raises over six years while sources said the union sought about 10% plus $2.5 million in marketing fees, figures the NFLRA disputed.
  • Owners also pressed for longer probation for new hires, tighter performance standards, fewer playoff assignments based on seniority, and a shorter offseason quiet period, reflecting concerns heightened since the 2012 “Fail Mary” with replacement refs.