NFL advocates for a more performance-based model for its game officials, one that ties bonuses and postseason assignments to regular-season grades rather than seniority.
The plan was outlined in a memo sent to the league's 32 teams on Wednesday and received by Los Angeles Times. That's because the NFL's collective bargaining agreement with game officials expires at the end of May and negotiations have slowed to a crawl.
The topic was part of a two-hour virtual owners meeting Wednesday.
In a memo sent by NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent and Board of Management general counsel Lawrence Ferazani Jr., the league said it is committed to making changes that will “improve the performance of officials, increase accountability and ensure that the highest-performing officials officiate our most important games.”
The NFL is pushing for mandatory training and development programs for low-performing and probationary officials and claims the union is “resisting our efforts to give these officials access to more training repetitions.”
The league is also seeking to extend the probationary period for evaluating new officials to have more flexibility in identifying and eliminating those who are underperforming. According to the document, the union's latest proposal is aimed at completely abolishing the probationary period.
“Our union's bargaining committee works diligently on behalf of members, and we will continue to respect that process,” said Scott Green, executive director of the NFL Referees Association, in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our discussions with the league as we move toward a new CBA.”
The NFL currently has no contact with game officials following the Super Bowl until May 15th. The league wants to shorten this so-called dead period and increase access to officials for rule discussions, video reviews and the like.
The league is also proposing to create a practice squad for officials to replenish the talent pool.
The next official negotiating session between the NFL and the officials union is scheduled for Dec. 30 in Atlanta.
