A hidden truth about the upcoming NFL season is that it could go the way of the 2012 season, when replacement referees officiated regular-season games. The NFL and the NFL Referees Association met to start talks that were meant to span two days to complete the new CBA, but the talks broke off on Wednesday morning, according to Kevin Seifert via ESPN.
The NFLRA Executive Director alleged that the NFL rejected a counterproposal from the referees, which soured talks.
“Today the NFLRA Negotiating Team showed up to what was supposed to be the start of a two-day session with the League to make progress towards a new Collective Bargaining Agreement,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, it was soon clear that the NFL did not arrive with the same level of commitment. We asked them to respond to our offer with the goal of making progress. We then learned that no one in their delegation was authorized to negotiate beyond their original proposal, and at that time they chose to leave, after less than half a day of talks.”
The referees are currently earning around $350,000 annually, a figure the NFL proposed raising by 10%. The league's ask was a series of actions to improve referees' performance, including bonuses for high-performing officials and a tighter leash on those they feel aren't meeting a certain standard.
One sticking point in negotiations is that the league wants to increase the probationary period for new referees, while the NFLRA wants to keep the current three-year window. If the groups can't find common ground, the league could move forward with recruiting replacement officials.
