New NFL Rumors on Contingent Rule Changes if Replacement Referees Needed for 2026 Amid CBA Talks

The NFL once hired replacement referees in 2012 amid a labor dispute with the NFL Referees Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

That's in danger of happening again in 2026, with the two sides reportedly at a "stalemate" as the CBA is set to expire on May 31, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

The league is reportedly making contingency plans if an agreement isn't reached. Per Seifert, the NFL is already reaching out to college officiating supervisors so they can make a list of around 150 replacement officials.

Moreover, the league would make greater use of the Art McNally Gameday Central command center in New York City, home of NFL headquarters, in order to help out the replacement officials. Seifert provided more information.

"To help mitigate their inexperience at the NFL level, the league's competition committee is finalizing a series of contingent rule changes that would allow league employees at the Art McNally Gameday Central command center in New York City to enforce health and safety penalties, among others, sources said -- an aggressive move toward centralized officiating after years of small steps."

Per Seifert, the rule proposals are up for discussion at the NFL's annual league meeting on March 29, which will take place in Phoenix.

The 2012 lockout lasted through the first three weeks of the regular season. The last game with replacement referees was the infamous "Fail Mary" contest, a Monday Night Football matchup between the victorious host Seattle Seahawks and the visiting Green Bay Packers that ended with incredible controversy and perhaps served as the last straw toward the lockout ending.

The two sides agreed on a new deal that lasted until 2020, but they arrived to terms on an extension in 2019.

However, it's clear there are issues between the two sides right now. Of course, there's still time to agree to terms on the negotiating table, but no tangible progress is being made at the moment, leading to the league making contingency plans at this time.