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5mo 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.