NFL owners approved a one-year rule change on Tuesday that will allow the league’s officiating department to further assist on-field officials in the event of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.
The rule proposal, which was one of five presented by the competition committee for discussion ahead of this week’s league meetings in Phoenix, represents a step toward preparing for replacement officials in 2026. Discussions between the NFL and the referees’ union have stalled with their current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on May 31.
The approved rule change would only go into effect if no deal can be reached with the NFLRA. If it is put into practice, members of the league’s officiating department would monitor games from the Art McNally GameDay Central command center in New York and be able to weigh in on calls with “clear and obvious video evidence.”
NFL owners also approved several other rule changes in Phoenix. Three relate to kickoffs, including eliminating the previous requirement that a team had to be trailing to attempt an onside kick. The new rule allows either team to attempt an onside kick at any point in the game, though it is still required that the team declare its intention to try one.
Other approved kickoff changes include eliminating the kicking team’s incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line and modifications to the kickoff alignment requirements for receiving team players in the setup zone.
Owners also approved a change to allow league personnel to consult with on-field officials regarding flagrant football acts and non-football acts that aren’t called on the field and could lead to disqualification.
All rule changes required approval from at least 24 of the league’s 32 teams.
The most notable proposal, though, was the one laying the groundwork for increased use of remote guidance in the event of a work stoppage. The NFL’s officiating department would be able to advise, consult with or assist on-field officials in calls, including:
- Fouls not called on the field: Alert on-field officials of roughing the passer, intentional grounding or an act that would result in disqualification.
- Fouls called on the field: Alert on-field officials if “at least one element of the foul called is not present,” in situations including face-mask penalties, roughing the passer, intentional grounding, horse-collar tackle, illegal contact, pass interference and disqualification.
- Foul assistance after the two-minute warning and overtime: Assist on-field officials in administration or nullification of fouls, including unnecessary roughness, and unsportsmanlike conduct based on throwing a punch, a forearm or kicking at an opponent, even though no contact is made; leverage; leaping.
- Running into or roughing the kicker.
The rule change would centralize officiating in New York, aiming to help prevent mistakes by less-experienced replacement refs. In theory, that increased assistance should help mitigate some of the issues the league had when replacement officials were used during the first three weeks of the 2012 regular season. But there are concerns about how consistent this assistance will be; how will the league balance monitoring multiple games in the early Sunday window versus one game during prime time, for example? Consulting with league officials in New York also takes time and could result in delays.
The rule’s approval is the latest domino to fall in a week that has made contentious negotiations between the NFL and NFLRA look increasingly bleak. Scheduled negotiations last week were reportedly called off after “less than a half day of talks,” NFLRA executive director Scott Green said in a statement, adding that the NFLRA’s counter was rejected and nobody from the NFL was authorized to negotiate beyond their original proposal.
In response, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said in a statement that the union hadn’t engaged in negotiations in a meaningful way and that the league “will continue to prepare for the expiration of the current agreement because we will be playing football in August.”
On Sunday, The Athletic reported that the process to hire replacement officials could begin as early as May. The NFL prefers to get ahead in training and preparing replacements for the NFL level to avoid frustrating growing pains and missteps like the league experienced during the 2012 referee lockout, but expediting that hiring process could also make continued negotiations with the union more difficult.
Key sticking points in the CBA negotiations include the NFL’s desire to value performance over seniority in postseason assignments and increasing the training required for poor-performing officials. Salary is also a point of contention, with the NFL offering a 6.45 percent annual pay increase compared to the union’s desire for annual 10 percent raises, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
Two teams also presented resolutions before the meetings in Phoenix. Owners approved a resolution from the Pittsburgh Steelers making permanent a change implemented during the 2025 season that permitted teams to have a video meeting or phone call with up to five unrestricted free agents during the two-day legal tampering period that precedes the start of free agency.
The Cleveland Browns proposed to extend the window to trade draft picks up to five years out, but withdrew it on Monday.
Owners also approved several changes to the league bylaws. One change permits the league office to adjust the procedures and deadlines for final roster cuts to accommodate a Week 1 international game. Another establishes the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend as business days to provide clubs with personnel notices during the weekend after roster cuts. And a third will permit players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to begin a 21-day practice period after a team’s second game of the regular season.
This story will be updated.
