NFL and referees agree on a 7-year collective bargaining agreement, avoiding potential work stoppage

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed Friday on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and use of replacement officials. The agreement, which was approved by the union's board of directors and ratified by a vote of the membership, runs through the 2032 NFL season. "We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better. It is good to get these negotiations behind us so we can focus on preparing for the 2026 season," union President Carl Cheffers said. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the referees association had been set to expire on May 31, and the two sides began negotiating in the summer of 2024. The league began the onboarding process for replacement officials last month because negotiations weren't progressing. But they won't be necessary. The league and the union said in a joint statement that the deal covers a wide range of issues including economics, performance and accountability. "This agreement is a testament to the joint commitment of the league and union to invest in and improve officiating," said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. "It also speaks to the game officials' relentless pursuit of improvement and officiating excellence. We look forward to working together for the betterment of the game." Detailed terms weren't released. The NFL had sought increased access to officials in the offseason, a practice squad or bench of officials, a new formal training program and control of playoff assignments based on performance. A person with knowledge of the new deal told The Associated Press those priorities were met in the agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because contract details weren't publicized. A stalemate in 2012 resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used. That led to several high-profile mistakes, including the Fail Mary when Russell Wilson completed a desperation pass to Golden Tate in the closing seconds to lift Seattle over Green Bay in a Monday night game. Tate pushed off so he should've been penalized for offensive pass interference. He appeared to wrestle the ball away from a Packers defender and was given credit for a catch even though two officials had called it differently. There weren't as many glaring errors when the NFL also used replacement officials for one week of exhibition games and the opening week in 2001 before the labor dispute was resolved shortly after 9/11, and the regular officials returned in time when the season resumed following a one-week break.