"According to the emails, the league is looking for a list of about 150 mostly small college officials by the end of this weekend. Those officials could begin onboarding as early as April and then attend a four-day clinic in May. Absent a CBA agreement, they would continue training through the summer and make visits to training camps before the regular season begins."
"The first is what Green believes would be an increased vulnerability to gamblers among replacement officials. The second, Green said, is the safety of players in games covered by officials who have not previously experienced the size and speed of the NFL game."
"The NFL's use of replacement officials in 2012 was universally criticized by coaches and players, in part because it dipped into lower-level colleges and minor professional leagues, including the Arena League. The final game before the agreement ended with a chaotic "Fail Mary" ruling that granted the Seattle Seahawks a 14-12 victory over the Green Bay Packers."
The NFL is developing contingency plans to hire approximately 150 replacement officials from small colleges if collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the NFL Referees Association break down by the end of May. The league's approach mirrors its 2012 lockout strategy, which lasted 110 days and involved replacement officials through the third week of the regular season. Potential replacement officials would begin onboarding in April, attend training in May, and continue preparation through summer and training camps. The NFLRA raises concerns about increased gambling vulnerability and player safety risks with inexperienced officials unfamiliar with NFL's speed and intensity. The 2012 replacement officials were widely criticized, culminating in the controversial "Fail Mary" call in a Seahawks-Packers game.
#nfl-labor-negotiations #replacement-officials #collective-bargaining-agreement #referees-association #2012-lockout
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