The NFL and the NFL Referees Associating reached a seven-year collective bargaining agreement, the league announced Saturday morning. The agreement, that will run through May 31, 2026, was unanimously approved by the NFLRA Board of Directors and ratified by a vote of NFLRA membership. The previous deal was set to expire in May of 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," NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement. "We will continue working together to provide fans, players and coaches with officiating performance that meets the highest standards demanded by the game."
"It was a mutual and cooperative effort that took over a year and a half, and the outcome is seven years of certainty for the league and our officials," added NFLRA executive director Scott Green. "We appreciate Troy Vincent and his staff for recognizing that working together to find solutions is the best course of action to reach a long-term agreement."
NFLRA president Tony Steratore, who is in the midst of his 20th season as an NFL official, also discussed the significance of the new agreement. The NFL-NFLRA CBA, according to the league's operations page, covers "compensation and benefits issues and emphasizes efforts to train and develop world-class officials."
"We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better," Steratore. "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."
