NFL to consider rule proposals in case of ref work stoppage - ESPN

The NFL competition committee has finalized a series of wide-ranging rule change proposals to account for the growing possibility of a work stoppage amid tense collective bargaining negotiations with the NFL Referees Association, according to a list released by the league Tuesday.

The changes would only apply if the NFL hires replacement officials, a process it began preparing for earlier this month by reaching out to mostly small-college officiating supervisors in an effort to develop a list of 150 replacement candidates. The NFLRA's current CBA is set to expire May 31.

If a work stoppage were to continue into the regular season, the new rules would create a type of centralized officiating that the league hopes would help avert the chaos encountered in 2012, when replacement officials worked the first three weeks of the season. While each game would still be officiated from the field, staff members in the league's Art McNally Gameday Central command center in New York would be permitted to weigh in on a wide variety of called and uncalled penalties and would take on additional roles following the two-minute warning and in overtime.

NFL owners will discuss and possibly vote on the changes next week at their annual meeting in Phoenix. All rule changes require approval from at least 24 of the league's 32 teams.

According to verbiage the NFL released Tuesday, league staff members could alert a replacement referee if they see clear and obvious evidence of an uncalled foul for roughing the passer, intentional grounding or an act that would normally lead to disqualification.

Those staff members would also be permitted to alert replacement referees that a flag shouldn't have been thrown if there is clear and obvious video