What are NFL replacement refs? History of officials used during referee strikes in football league
What are NFL replacement refs? History of officials used during referee strikes in football league originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Referees aren't the most popular people in an NFL game, but they are crucial to making football games run smoothly over the course of the year. So, when the league has to go to replacement refs, the drop-off in quality is notable. Every so often, the league and the NFL Referees Association get into a CBA dispute that leads to the NFL threatening to replace the officials with replacements who aren't in the union.
However, that also means that the league is risking a drop in the quality of NFL games, as the replacements are backups for a reason. Here's a breakdown of the NFL's history using replacement refs. MORE : What is the NFL virtual measurement system?
What are NFL replacement refs? NFL replacement refs are the referees that the league hires to fill in when the usual referees go on strike or the league locks them out. Replacement refs only work in the NFL every decade or so, when the referee CBA with the NFL expires and the NFL and referee union can't agree on a new deal before the season begins.
MORE : What to know about the NFL taunting penalty Who are the NFL replacement refs? Replacement refs are backup referees who usually have experience officiating lower-level football games, along with whatever it is they do for day jobs. These referees are not part of the referees' union, and therefore typically do not have any experience officiating NFL games.