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The NFL has reportedly begun deploying substitute officials in the event that their union referees are unavailable.
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 physicals will follow.
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Umpires stand on the field before a game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 25, 2024. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
The NFL Referees Association is aiming for a new labor agreement, and teams were told to expect replacement officials at practice if an agreement is not reached by June 1. The current agreement between the NFLRA and the league expires on 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 ask for your feedback on the performance of potential replacement officials as we finalize the 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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“Negotiations have not progressed as we hoped from a timing standpoint,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of the league’s annual meeting. “Obviously, we have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We will be prepared to play. We are taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we are also very focused on negotiations.”
Alternate officials were used to start the 2012 season, and arguably the most infamous result of it was the “Fail Mary” in Seattle, when the Seahawks won on a controversial, simultaneous possession that ruled on a late play in the end zone.
Last year, the NFL signaled its intent to strengthen officiating through greater accountability and performance standards, saying it “remained focused on implementing changes to the agreement in ways that will improve the performance of our game officials, increase accountability and ensure the highest-performing officials officiate our highest-profile games.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, left, speaks with referee John Hussey before an NFL wild-card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 13, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
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The NFLRA reportedly opposed at least some proposed changes and preferred the status quo.
