NFL Prepares Plan B: Possible Substitute Referees Amid Labor Uncertainty
The NFL is taking preventive measures in the event of not reaching an agreement with the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) regarding the new collective bargaining agreement. According to reviewed emails, the league is considering hiring replacement referees for the upcoming season.
This strategy is similar to the one implemented in 2012, during a lockout that lasted 110 days and ended in the third week of the regular season. The current collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of May.
According to the emails, the league is looking for a list of approximately 150 referees, mainly from small universities, before the weekend. These referees could begin their training in April and attend a four-day clinic in May. In case of no agreement, they would continue training during the summer and visit training camps before the start of the regular season.
The NFL has not issued any comments on the matter.
The situation raises concerns about vulnerability to bettors and the safety of the players.
Scott Green, executive director of the NFLRA, pointed out that this contingency plan poses two main problems. The first is, according to Green, the increased vulnerability to bettors on the part of the substitute referees. The second is the safety of the players in the matches led by referees without experience in the pace and intensity of the NFL.
Green expressed his surprise at the possibility of the league considering this option, recalling the problems of 2012.
The use of substitute referees in 2012 was widely criticized by coaches and players, partly due to the inclusion of referees from lower-level colleges and minor professional leagues.
A source indicated that “frustration is increasing” among the owners due to the state of negotiations with the NFLRA.
