Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

The NFL and NFL Referees Association have finalized a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement, both sides announced Saturday.

The new deal runs through May 31, 2026. The current CBA was set to expire in May 2020.

“This agreement solidifies the working partnership between the league and officials toward the common goal of developing and training the best officials in the world,” said Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations. “We will continue working together to provide fans, players and coaches with officiating performance that meets the highest standards demanded by the game.”

While terms of the deal were not released, the new CBA covers compensation and benefits and emphasizes training and development of officials.

“We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better,” said NFLRA president Tony Steratore, in his 20th season as a game official in 2019. “We all must keep pace with the speed and skill of the players, not to mention the increased use of technology. It is good to get these negotiations behind us.”

By finalizing the agreement early, the league avoids a similar situation to 2012 when the NFL locked out referees only to have replacement officials succumb to high-profile blunders. The most attention-getting mistake came on a last-second pass to the end zone that gave the Seattle Seahawks a victory over the Green Bay Packers.

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)