League Looking to Hire Replacement Refs

**HoustonRaven** · 06-04-2012, 09:33 AM

Just caught this tweet from Adam Shefter ....

AdamSchefter 9:05am via WhoSay

Talks between NFL and officials for new deal have broken off. NFL has advised all teams it is now working to hire replacement officials.

Not good. I don't have many complaints about the product the NFL puts out, but the officiating is something could be improved. Vastly.

With the revenue the league generates, it's inexcusable that they do not employ full time referees. Instead, they opt for part time officials, most of whom have other jobs and only dedicate a small amount of time to their NFL craft. The quality of officiating is dreadful, IMO, and I hope the league is able to force these men to work full time.

In the short term, especially if they hire replacements, the quality of officiating will go down even further until the college level refs get up to speed (literally) on the NFL game.

**GOTA** · 06-04-2012, 10:08 AM

The league isn't interested in the refs working full time. The NFL says they don't have enough to do in the offseason for it to make sense. I think at the very least the NFL should make the crew chief a full time employee. There should be 1 for every game and he should be in charge.

**Kyle Cactus** · 06-04-2012, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

The league isn't interested in the refs working full time. The NFL says they don't have enough to do in the offseason for it to make sense. I think at the very least the NFL should make the crew chief a full time employee. There should be 1 for every game and he should be in charge.

I'm not sure if the NFL needs full time refs or not, but by this line of reasoning teachers shouldn't work full time either. The NFL needs to come up with a better reason to defend it's stance (if indeed it hasn't. I honestly haven't read much on the issue).

If they did do full time refs, they could work full time during the preseason, regular season, and possibly playoffs and figure out for themselves if they wanted to work another job in the off-season, just like many teachers do.

**HoustonRaven** · 06-04-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Kyle Cactus

If they did do full time refs, they could work full time during the preseason, regular season, and possibly playoffs and figure out for themselves if they wanted to work another job in the off-season, just like many teachers do.

That's what they do now. The league and the union representing the refs see that as part time employment.

The league now wants them to work year round -- attend clinics, receive more training, watch film, etc -- which is a departure from their usual stance of allowing them to be part-time.

**DrUnk** · 06-04-2012, 10:28 AM

I'm sure nothing will go wrong.

**Kyle Cactus** · 06-04-2012, 10:43 AM

HR-

Thanks for clarifying.

I certainly wouldn't mind full time refs, but I guess I've always accepted that officials in any sport will make mistakes, so the quality of officiating has never bothered me much. There's no question that the NFL can afford to have full time refs to improve their product, but there will always be bad calls.

The real question is whether or not officiating will get noticeably better with an 'off-season program' for the refs.

**GOTA** · 06-04-2012, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Kyle Cactus

I'm not sure if the NFL needs full time refs or not, but by this line of reasoning teachers shouldn't work full time either. The NFL needs to come up with a better reason to defend it's stance (if indeed it hasn't. I honestly haven't read much on the issue).

If they did do full time refs, they could work full time during the preseason, regular season, and possibly playoffs and figure out for themselves if they wanted to work another job in the off-season, just like many teachers do.

School is in session for 9 months. Even with the preseason and playoffs you're talking about around 6 and they don't even need half the refs for the playoffs.

Howard Cosell used to complain about this exact issue back in the 70's. He was always calling for full time refs and in the 35 years since the NFL hasn't changed their stance.

**moose10101** · 06-04-2012, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by GOTA

School is in session for 9 months. Even with the preseason and playoffs you're talking about around 6 and they don't even need half the refs for the playoffs.

Howard Cosell used to complain about this exact issue back in the 70's. He was always calling for full time refs and in the 35 years since the NFL hasn't changed their stance.

I think NFL officiating is much better than MLB or the NBA, with their full-time officials.

**GOTA** · 06-04-2012, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by moose10101

I think NFL officiating is much better than MLB or the NBA, with their full-time officials.

I don't watch enough of either of those sports to know. I do think it's better than the NHL but that isn't saying much.

**Jayc00** · 06-04-2012, 12:04 PM

Well they can't be any worse than the ones they put on the field now.

Once they get a deal, I'd like to see officials or crews suspended or fined for poor calls/games.

**moose10101** · 06-04-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

I don't watch enough of either of those sports to know.

You haven't lived until you've seen a floating strike zone.

**Darksouleyez** · 06-04-2012, 02:09 PM

id sign up to be an NFL ref but the position states clearly:

"Must not have full 20/20 vision."

**Ravenswintitle** · 06-04-2012, 02:56 PM

sounds like the NFL has locked them out now so they can start training their replacements. Not sure how much leverage the NFLRA have in this.... bring on the SEC and Big 12 officials I guess

**steelerhater** · 06-04-2012, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by moose10101

You haven't lived until you've seen a floating strike zone.

Yea, it doesn't matter the location of the pitch, but rather who threw it.

**Paintballguy** · 06-04-2012, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by moose10101

You haven't lived until you've seen a floating strike zone.

This even happens in my softball league. lol So f'ing frustrating.

**The Fanatic** · 06-05-2012, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by Jayc00

Well they can't be any worse than the ones they put on the field now.

Careful what you wish for here, because yes, they very well could be worse then what we're use to seeing.

If they were better or on the same level they would already be NFL officials.

Not gonna shock me in the least to see several if not many bad calls or missed calls that contribute to the outcome of games if they go this route.

Hopefully the impact is minimal on our games.

**HoustonRaven** · 06-05-2012, 06:31 PM

I remember the scab refs and they were dreadful.

Yes, be careful what you wish for.

**Real Fan Dan** · 06-05-2012, 11:19 PM

There are some interesting numbers in this article
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footb...ike/55404170/1

Basically salaries can go from $78,000 for Rookie officials to $200,000 for veterans by 2018.
Sounds like a helluva good full-time salary to me, although there is no mention about a move to fulltime employment in the article.. I'd be happy to attend training and watch film of every player in the league every day of the frickin year for that money lol. I saw in another article that MLB refs make an average of 120K, and that's a boatload more games.

The NFL is messing with the officials pension plan however, and that's a major sticking point.