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What Are the Real Refs and the NFL Actually Fighting About? Here’s What You Need to Know

Sep. 26, 2012 6:45am Becket Adams

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, right, argues with referee Mike Shepherd during the second half in an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 27-6. Credit: AP

Following the shocking conclusion to Monday night’s amateurishly refereed Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks game, many of you probably wondering what’s going on with the National Football League’s professional referees.

Two words: labor dispute.

“The league initiated a lockout when the contract with the NFL Referees Association [NFLRA] expired in June and the two sides failed to agree on a new deal. Talks have resumed, but without a new collective bargaining agreement in place the regular referees can’t return to the field,” the Associated Press reports.

The major point of contention? The league’s attempts to reform referee pension benefits.

“[T]he league wants all referees to move from a traditional pension plan, in which the league contributes a yearly $38,500 per ref and the officials are guaranteed money after retirement, to a 401(k) plan, where the employees contribute money are guaranteed a kind of vague, free-floating anxiety about the future,” Gawker’s Max Reed explains.

“The union has said they’d agree to a deal putting all new employees on the 401(k) as long as current referees are grandfathered in; the N.F.L. says everyone needs to be on the 401(k),” he adds.

Simply put, the dispute comes down to a question over whether refs should contribute to their own pensions.

“The key is the pension issue,” Scott Green, the head of the referees’ union, told the HuffPo. “A lot of our guys have made life-career decisions based on assuming that pension would be there.”

Of course, there are other, less contentious issues being negotiated: the NFLRA wants the NLF to increase the $18.6 million it currently splits among 121 referees. The NFL will only go as high as $19 million. Also, the NFL wants to hire more refs and turn the ones they have into full-time employees.

Wait, wait, wait! Professional NFL refs are part-time employees?

Yup. In fact, a lot of them work other jobs in the offseason. This means that along with the $150,000 they make annually for officiating games, most NFL refs also have a second source of income. And that’s not all: NFL officials work an average 20-25 hours week (not including travel).

However, it’s important to note that NFL refs are paid by the game.

“If an official misses a few games because of a few bad calls, that can cut into compensation. And the NFLRA, like the Chicago Teachers Union, doesn’t want its members’ compensation subject to performance reviews,” Bloomberg Businessweek weeks notes.

Still, an average $150,000 annually for a five-month gig and a second source of income doesn’t sound all that bad. If the NFLRA doesn’t want to budge on proposed pension reform, the NFL will just go with replacements –

Yikes. Why are these replacement refs so bad?

“Well, they’re football officials, too, but while they certainly know the difference between a touchback and a touchdown they’re not used to watching the game at its fastest and most intense level,” the AP reports.

“The major college refs stuck with their usual jobs out of loyalty, leaving the NFL to mine replacements from the lower divisions of the NCAA, minor organizations like the Arena League and retirees from the major college ranks,” the report adds.

As you can tell, these lower-level refs clearly aren’t making the cut. And people are starting to get angry. Real angry. In fact, Monday night’s game and the subsequent fury from fans, players, and the media may be the thing that forces the league into submitting to the NFLRA’s contract terms.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Front page photo source courtesy the AP. This article has been updated.

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Comments (52)

BeachCoaster
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:23am
This is a great teaching moment here. You have to put yourself in the place of the pro ref here. It’s easy to knock them for being unionized considering the debacle with teacher and car worker unions.

The difference here is this a private company that is now making $9 BILLION and more each year. The refs are being asked to work more with less pay. Would you take that deal. Oh by the way there is no guarantee for each of those games, you get sick, you don’t get paid. How would you feel if you were promised a pension, and then told you were moving to a 401k that is not nearly as much of what you already worked for?

This union works because it is with a private company that earns their own money, and not playing with 100% taxpayer money.

The NFL doesn’t want to hire every ref to be full time because that would make them pay for more benefits.

Goodell said he will protect the shield against players who make it look bad, but yet does nothing to keep the quality of the game that actually makes the money in tact. Goodell should suspend himself.

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- sbenard
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 12:50pm
  Let me guess. You’re a union ref!
  
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- JRook
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 1:37pm
  Correct and beckett’s got it wrong. What they are fighting about is that in a capitalist society their expertise and competency should be compensated per the market. The replacement refs are a clear sign that their expertise and command of the game is not easily replaced. Pensions like benefits is just one component of an overall benefit package. And their being productive during the off season should be praised rather than criticize. After all its not like they Teebow after making a good call, trying to obtain recognition and status beyond their ability.
  
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- JonQ
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 1:44pm
  they are part time emplees who have real jobs the other 5 days of the week (at least the used to).
  besides, it was a full time NFL official who made the bad replay call in the seattle-gb game, not a replacement guy.
  if your favorite team is that good, then they don’t need refs to help them out, they beat the other guy on their own, through better and more disciplined play.
  
  Report this comment
- dmerwin
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 10:25pm
  Not a lot of empathy from me. However, the owners are the main profiteers. If you really enjoy NFL and want the owners to move to the ref position DON”T attend the games or buy the merchandise or the advertisers products. The owners will then decide what is important. Me, I would fire them all and hire back the 10 best as trainers and get the replacements up to speed. If you actually bet money on a sporting event there are MANY variables at play by which you could lose. At the end of the day if the Packers had scored at least two touchdowns and a field goal they would have won. Again, I have no empathy.
  
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yazoo
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:14am
Ei Rushbo had a brilliant take on this situation. I can not do it justice but it was basically this: The mainstream sports media are all upset that incompenent officials are screwing up their NFL football outcomes. These officails are supposed to be competent and unbiased. No one has suggested they are dishonest, but their incompetance is certainly at question. When you have a group who has the authority over another group, competance and honesty is manditory. It may be hard to deal with for the sports world, but that is exactly what Conservatives have dealt with forever.The national news media should act as our nations’ officials, pointing out when someone cheats, lies, even misleads.Now, our Mainstream are not honest brokers. Now, besides being incompetent they too often are dishonest. We,ve lived with this since forever, so can football fans and owners. Besides, these new officials just want their Obama shot.

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- loriann12
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 12:43pm
  My husband had a good question: Where are the union refs picketing and holding up signs saying “Scab labor” outside the stadiums? Why are they not daring these substitute refs to cross the picket line?
  
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robtech34
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:03am
Well, I’ll say this much. I have to pay for my own retirement so on that train of thought the refs can kiss my assets. As far as the replacement refs, keep the decent ones, as they will only get better, can the bad ones, and get new….good ones. Reagan there butts. Fire ‘em. Choose not to pick up their “option”. A year of on the field trainging for the replacements and they, the good ones, will be just as capable of blowing calls as the 20 year verteran Official.

Idiots.

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- no_muslim
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 4:26pm
  You expect common sense to be utilized. You ask for too much.
  
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edcoil
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 10:59am
If they want a pension plan the ref’s can create on a pay for it. They want someone else to pay. I heard they also all want a signing bonus – they get $8,000 for a three hour game it’s a great gig and part-time job 15 days per year and the NFL gives them great perks and expenses.

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- Nepenthe
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:46am
  They want someone else to pay because that is what they contracted under when they began their career. The owners want to change that contract because offering up an additional <1% of their profit earnings is simply far too much to ask.
  
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WashingtonIsMyHero
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 10:56am
Unfortunately I remember what football and baseball were like in the 50s and 60s. It used to be about the game and rivalries with other citys’ teams. The players stayed with a team out of loyalty to the city, the fans and the team. Now it’s all about the money. Admirable human traits like loyalty don’t belong in today’s big-money professional sports. To make matters worse the players and the refs are unionized. Unions are a blight on America.

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- lukef
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 11:11am
  Well said, this thinking should get some air time!
  
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termyt
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 10:36am
People keep saying the integrity of the sport is at stake. I wasn’t aware that there was enough integrity left to worry about.

Didn’t we spend all last year complaining about the refs, too?

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perry1980
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 10:19am
It is always about money and pension is money.

the league needs to fire them all and hire Refs as Employees of the League and make teach them year round.

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HuskerDave
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 9:40am
While the replacement refs have gottena few calls wrong; I’ve been shouting to everyone who brings it up that a few loud voices on ESPN are overstating the problem intentionally; out of loyalty to UNIONS!

I saw the writing on wall for this one weeks ago. Honestly, these hacks act like the regular refs never get a call wrong. How quickly they forget their own criticism of the regulars.

It’s just more class warfare – the owners ‘must be’ rich, so let’s screw them with union chicanary.

I applaud the owners for their lockout. I hope it continues until the union caves. The replacement refs are doing just fine. (It was 8 sacks that lost that game for the Packers, not a single missed yellow flag).

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Itmanager00
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:54am
Okay – let’s keep some perspective on this! Football is a pasttime, a game, a distraction from our normal daily lives. Teams win and teams lose but at the end of the day it doesnt mean anything!

watching locked out referees on ESPN give their opinion of the ‘bad calls’ these replacement refs are making is nothing more than typical union pressure to force the NFL into taking the union deal. the union knows if they make the fans mad – the league will give in.

in my opinion, even the regular refs make mistakes and life goes on.

these replacement refs have been called in to an impossible situation. they are now working in the fastest paced games of their lives and are getting no support from anyone including the fans, players, coaches, the league, and especially the union. imagine the tremendous pressure they are under – could you do better?

i say give the refs a break, watch the games, enjoy the show, drink a beer and life goes on!

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Gonzo
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:40am
There is more widespread concern among white males 18-35 over effing NFL refs than the most critical presidential election of our lifetime. Grow up America and decide what’s really important.

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- smash44
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 12:10pm
  Excellent post. You are entirely right. More concern for the refs then for their future sustainability and that of their children. Kind of shows you where the idiot’s priorities lie.
  
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xendude
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:33am
Like Rome we must have the games, to numb our minds. We have shifted the opiate of the masses so as to lead the herd to a better secular place.

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jscottu
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:33am
None of the mainstream media that I read/saw mentioned the pensions.

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4xeverything
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:08am
I don’t feel sorry for these greedy b@$tards one bit but, there is a huge difference between this and a teachers union. This union is fighting a private company not the tax payers. They have every right to be as greedy as they want when it doesn’t include the the public’s money. I hope the NFL doesn’t set precident and chooses to hold their ground. The refs union only has this one shot. The NFL will never be caught in this situation again, I’m sure. They’ll have backup refs trained and on hand from now on.

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- wingedwolf
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 9:04am
  Couldn’t have said it better, so I am just adding agreement.
  
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- Bum thrower
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 9:46am
  Folks need to quit bitching; this is ‘liberalism’ on display; disregard the pension; these ‘backup refs’ are getting their ‘shot’. Everyone deserves aa ‘shot’; I am going to have brain surgury, and there is a back up surgeon’ who is going to get his ‘shot’ cuz medicare cut the reimbursement. Should I be worried?
  The refs have ‘diversity’; there are blacks, a few ‘crackers’; a miskin; a female; transgender(?); a native american (says he is, but no ‘pedigree’ required; a la Elizabeth Warren……Liberalism = equal outcome……no talent or skill required.
  
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HOOT_OWL
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:00am
Not sure what all the fuss is about . On any given game with these sub-par referees
doing the calling , both teams has a 50/50 chance of winning the game, they didn’t deserver.
It sounds fair to me.

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teddrunk
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:57am
Hmmm…seems to me the “real” officials made a lot of bad calls too. (..and this coming from a Packer fan). If you’re a Raider fan, I seem to remember the “tuck rule”, if you’re a Colt fan, (the Baltimore Colts) I seem to remember a playoff game field goal @ Lambeau. If you’re a Bears fan, I seem to remember a Packer Bear game Bears loss with an asterisk. If you’re a Cowboy fan, did Jerry Kramer move too soon, (Ice Bowl) Every team has been plagued by bad calls. In fact in this last Monday Night Football debacle, the replay official was a regular official, not a replacement.
Break the officials union. They’re overpaid hacks.

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Tobytheone
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:43am
Maybe time yo find another day job Obummer is hiring camp- trolls

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Tobytheone
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:39am
They all make more than they are worth

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- xendude
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:34am
  So do the owners.
  
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MadenNZ
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:34am
I was blasted on other blogs for even suggesting that the Refs/NFLRA look a little greedy in light of their Pension demands for “Part-time’ Status Workers. Mind you the job requirement does demand talent/skill to make precise decision and judgement in their field. But it’s the principle of the matter that bugs me. I can’t name one American Business that offers Premium pensions for part-time workers on top of their current 401K. Those salary figures in this article are incredible! In light of all the current desperation in unemployment/poverty/47% figures within this economy – don’t you think their demands look frivolous?

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- USAPLISKENXI
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:48am
  If you consider who they are refing for and the whole football season there lives are not only in danger but they are on the road constantly away from there family. 150k is peanuts they are on the field with men that make millions. I SAY PAY EM
  
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- MadenNZ
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:55am
  There’s probably more interest in the game now than ever with the ‘replacement refs’ at the helm. I’m not sure who benefits from the influx of interest more, the owners or the pro-refs. Public outcry from the fans seems to be falling on deaf ears. Looking back in recent history, NFL owners have been quite firm with their terms, even at the risk of shutting down a whole season. Then the outcry comes from the 1000s if not millions unable to work..concessions/maintenance/engineers/facility staff/ticket sales ..and that’s just listing a few from a stadium network let alone the losses from the television/transportation & hospitality industries. I think the Refs are going to lose in the end.
  
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Jeff Bassett
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:34am
If I were signed into a pension, I would not want my retirement funds transferred to a volatile 401K fund either. To require such is asking a bit much when the amount of fund distribution is mainly unchanged.

A retired NFL ref noted it takes about 4 years to adjust as a new referee to the NFL. So if you do want to see the new referees stay, expect a lower performance from the ref staff for years to come. Even the current referees take a few games each season to get into a strong mode, so expect no quick fix with the new fix. You get what you pay for.

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NashVegasRocker
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:27am
the quote from th article: “A lot of our guys have made life-career decisions based on assuming that pension would be there.”

well….what does the fine print of their contract say? I took on credit card debt “assuming” if I made my payments on time that my interest rate would remain the same throughout the pay back period….well, with “Dodd-Frank” reform that didn’t happen and most of them went up about 10%. When you assume you make an….well, you have heard it before…

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VotersOfNY
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:17am
Give the new refs a chance to learn and fire all the old refs. There are going to be mistakes so change the replay rules and have a few of the good refs look at replays. Like Ronald Regan did with Air Traffic controllers, let’s just start new. Unions are destroying this country, usually public sector but a few private sector ones like refs are also greedy leeches. It has to stop.

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Stoic one
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:14am
aside from the professional sports, (adult dressed in colorful suits, playing sports, being paid millions of dollars) aspect….. the unions wanting more and more… just shows the way all unions appear to be ….

from where I sit a bunch of GREEDY malcontents..

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lel2007
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:06am
Sounds like the NFL is being blackmailed. Maybe those “quality” collage refs would move to the NFL if they were guaranteed continuing employment.

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- Haunchie
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 7:13am
  Why do you reply if you don’t care then? Need attention I suppose…
  
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Gary_K
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 6:55am
Who cares ! I dont watch football and the league can go away and it wont affect me.

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- Carol in Indy
  Posted on September 26, 2012 at 8:13am
  Many care.!
  We all need a diversion from the state of the real world here in Adultville.
  
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ColoradoMaverick
Posted on September 26, 2012 at 6:53am
It’s not enough that the corrupt unions destroyed the auto industry and every other industry they have infiltrated, now they want to destroy pro sports.

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