NFL players’ union worried about replacement refs

The NFL Players Association publicly sided with referees on Wednesday while the officials hunt for a new collective bargaining agreement.

At this week’s NFL owners meetings, league executives discussed their contingency plans if the refs don’t agree to a new deal before the season begins in September. The league would implement replacement referees and already approved new procedures for the league office to call penalties in games.

But the disaster of replacement referees during the 2012 season still lingers. The NFL agreed to a deal with its officials after three weeks of replacements, which included the infamous “Fail Mary” game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers featuring a questionable catch that gave Seattle a 14-12 victory.

“Player safety requires trained, professional officials on the field,” J.C. Tretter, the executive director of the players’ union, said in a statement. “They manage the game in real time, enforce the rules, and stop situations from escalating. That can’t be replaced by less experienced crews or handled remotely. If player safety truly matters, trained professional officials on the field are not negotiable.”

Mr. Tretter also expressed concerns about the league’s centralized officiating procedures. He claimed that the NFL could face difficulties trying to litigate calls across multiple games in the same window.

“Professional officials are trained to control the game in real time,” Scott Green, the executive director for the referees’ union, said. “They are the first responders on the field — maintaining order, enforcing rules and preventing dangerous situations from escalating.”

Current negotiation points include salary — referees make $350,000 per year — a performance-based payment scale favored by the league, the institution of in-season training for underperforming officials and health care.

Unlike most major professional leagues, NFL referees are part-time employees. Many officials who work games on Sundays maintain separate careers off the field.

The league has offered a 6.45% pay raise for the officials, according to multiple reports. Referees, citing the NFL’s substantial revenue, are hoping for a more substantial bump.

The NFL is also seeking to end its current system that rewards postseason assignments based on seniority. The league wants to shift those roles to referees who perform well during the regular season.

NFL officials have also proposed a system that would send subpar referees to the UFL spring league to hone their craft, according to a report from The Athletic.

The negotiations have been contentious. According to multiple reports, the two sides ended a planned three-day discussion after just a few hours last month.

“We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached that avoids past disruptions and ensures the game continues to be officiated at the highest level,” Mr. Green said.

The current labor agreement with referees expires on May 31, and the NFL is already preparing a process to hire and train replacement refs.

“The negotiations haven’t progressed the way we hoped from a timing standpoint,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday. “We obviously have obligations to fans and everyone in the National Football League to play. We’ll be prepared to play. We’re taking the appropriate steps to be ready, but we’re also keenly focused on negotiations.”

The NFL season will kick off with a game featuring the defending champion Seahawks in Seattle on Sept. 9, a Wednesday.

• This story is based in part on wire service reports.