NFL begins onboarding replacement officials as referee labor deal nears expiration: report

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The NFL has reportedly begun onboarding replacement officials in case their unionized referees are not available.

The Athletic reported that teams were issued a memo by league officials Wednesday to inform them that potential replacements had undergone or were undergoing background checks.

The outlet reported that the officials have worked at the NCAA level in all divisions, and physical examinations will follow.

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Referees stand on the field before a game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Dec. 25, 2024. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

The NFL Referees Association is aiming for a new labor deal, and teams were told to expect replacement officials at practices if a deal is not reached by June 1. The current deal between the NFLRA and league expires May 31, and the league and the NFLRA have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. 

"Throughout the process, we will continue to solicit your feedback on the performance of the potential replacement officials as we finalize the game official roster for training camp and preseason games," Perry Fewell, the league's senior vice president of officiating, wrote in the memo, via ESPN.

Referee Shawn Hochuli calls a holding penalty during a game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 1, 2022, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

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"The negotiations haven’t progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint," NFL Commissioner