@the-gipper said:

For the 250K a year they are paying them (isn't that the figure?)...plus travel expenses, I would do it for full time.

I've looked all over and can't find the new 7 year CBA pay schedule......yet. The old one, not too bad for a part time job.

......Under the CBA that expires in May 2020, officials on average earn $205,000 in 2019, up from the $149,000 average in the last year of the previous contract. This includes typically 19 game assignments including preseason, and other assignments such as training camps, offseason OTAs, and officiating clinics; playoff assignments are paid from a separate pool. According to sources, there was a “substantial bump in game checks” and an increased contribution from the NFL into 401(k) retirement plans.

“We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better,” said Tony Steratore, the NFLRA president and a back judge in his 20th season. “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.”

The CBA does not include the replay officials, who are on a separate agreement that expires in May 2021.

-------> This agreement clears the path for officiating to avert a work stoppage, assuming that the league also wraps up its CBA with the players union before it expires after the 2020 season........

@hoorta said:

LOL, not to get personal- but we're going to have to get you on a serious workout program before you apply. Don't want you having a heart attack chasing those guys on breakaway runs.    

Well, we are just talking theoretically. At 67 years old (68 in January)....I don't think the NFL is hiring guys at that age. 

In checking, the oldest NFL referee appears to be a guy named Walt Coleman,   who is my same age about (we were born the same year). I think he is still at it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Coleman

Ed Hochuli was the oldest, but he retired when he was 67  (born 1950, retired after the 2017 season)

I had thought about getting into referreeing after I came out of law school as a sideline...doing High School or below sports, but for some reason, I just never did.

@the-gipper said:

Well...I have beyond  a college degree....and my college degree has truthfully never allowed me to make anywhere near that kind of money on an annual basis. 

LOL, not to get personal- but we're going to have to get you on a serious workout program before you apply. Don't want you having a heart attack chasing those guys on breakaway runs.    

@hoorta said:

Just about any of us would... But it looks like one of the requirements is a college degree... FWIW, here's the current list of officials   https://operations.nfl.com/the-officials/these-officials-are-really-good/2019-roster-of-nfl-officials/

about 125 of them.  @ $250,000 each per year, the NFL is paying about $32 million + expenses. Doubtless they get free airfare, hotels and meal allowance. Pocket change for a League that's raking in $4 billion- just on their Sunday Ticket contract with Directv.  

Well...I have beyond  a college degree....and my college degree has truthfully never allowed me to make anywhere near that kind of money on an annual basis. 

@the-gipper said:

For the 250K a year they are paying them (isn't that the figure?)...plus travel expenses, I would do it for full time.

Just about any of us would... But it looks like one of the requirements is a college degree... FWIW, here's the current list of officials   https://operations.nfl.com/the-officials/these-officials-are-really-good/2019-roster-of-nfl-officials/

about 125 of them.  @ $250,000 each per year, the NFL is paying about $32 million + expenses. Doubtless they get free airfare, hotels and meal allowance. Pocket change for a League that's raking in $4 billion- just on their Sunday Ticket contract with Directv.  

@mjp28 said:

Oh yes but one of the requirements is that you must have other full time employment.  Judges, lawyers, business people and more.

Why not full time referees???  Or is that too simple.

Might help the product on the field.

For the 250K a year they are paying them (isn't that the figure?)...plus travel expenses, I would do it for full time.

@hoorta said:

It's  great part time  work  if you  can get it. 

Oh yes but one of the requirements is that you must have other full time employment.  Judges, lawyers, business people and more.

Why not full time referees???  Or is that too simple.

Might help the product on the field.

@jrb12711 said:

The thing that makes me the most angry is they're so "set in their ways" about this too. Just effing admit you need help and get the ball rolling. No one would blame these dudes but NFL refs specifically live in this circle jerk mentality of protecting themselves.

We can send space ships millions of miles away.

But we can’t get a blindside block that’s 4 yards away correct?  

CMON MAN !!!!!!!

@oldbrownsfan said:

$12,500 is less than peanuts to Baker and the NFL was basically doing something because they felt they had to do something. But the something they really have to do is try to fix the problem with the bad calls. We have new camera technology we should be using to reverse obvious bad calls and we need to start using it so that games aren't decided by obvious bad calls. The NFL has it right to say that only clear convincing evidence should overturn a ruling on the field so why let bad calls stand when there is clear and convincing evidence to overturn it?

They have  replay  officials  already  monitoring games reviewing  scoring plays. Two  getting  overturned  just in the Packers game. (I got a  big thumbs up from the Green Bay fan) correctly  calling  Carr fumbled the ball out of bounds in the  end zone  before he  crossed the  goal line. So- if they already  can do that,  then why  can't they  buzz the ref and tell them  hey, you just seriously  blew  a call?

@mjp28 said:

I think that might cause a minor revolt maybe a strike and the NFL would need replacement refs......I'm not sure how the response would be.

I think maybe a graduated scale of fines or other action like reduced game assignments.  Personally I'd like to see some additional technical help first like reviewal ofl calls with time limits on the delay, one minute for a preliminary view and decision to end or determine if more time is necessary.

But wait a minute, the average pay in 2019 was about $201,000/year -and- they just agreed to a new 7 year CBA they would have to review that first.

I'm sure that some improvements could be found...... and what took them so long?

It's  great part time  work  if you  can get it. 

@browns149 said:

They should have  numerous people watching the game upstairs.

Not in New York.

Put them in a room with all the camera angles up on their own screen, and fix this garbage.

It's not that difficult.

The thing that makes me the most angry is they're so "set in their ways" about this too. Just effing admit you need help and get the ball rolling. No one would blame these dudes but NFL refs specifically live in this circle jerk mentality of protecting themselves.

@hoorta said:

MHO? fine the ref $12,000 for blowing a call....  

I think that might cause a minor revolt maybe a strike and the NFL would need replacement refs......I'm not sure how the response would be.

I think maybe a graduated scale of fines or other action like reduced game assignments.  Personally I'd like to see some additional technical help first like reviewal ofl calls with time limits on the delay, one minute for a preliminary view and decision to end or determine if more time is necessary.

But wait a minute, the average pay in 2019 was about $201,000/year -and- they just agreed to a new 7 year CBA they would have to review that first.

I'm sure that some improvements could be found...... and what took them so long?

@hoorta said:

MHO? fine the ref $12,000 for blowing a call....  

That wrong blind side block penalty against Landry is a perfect example of how easily this problem could be fixed by going to video replay and then picking up the flag. 

@oldbrownsfan said:

I think it is common knowledge the officiating in the NFL is terrible. Maybe the NFL does need to keep players and coaches from being critical of the refs but some of the calls are so bad it is going to take a lot of self restraint. I think the better answer than fining players for being critical of the officiating is to have better officiating imo.

https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NFL/2019/10/19/Browns-QB-Baker-Mayfield-fined-125K-for-calling-refs-pretty-bad/8821571522422/

MHO? fine the ref $12,000 for blowing a call....  

@canton-mike said:

Hey Baker!! Send the NFL a "letter of apology" (they know what THAT is ) & ask for your money back.

I think the league should penalize the refs & make the fine(s) public like they do with player's fines.

Last, but not least, kudos to Baker for having the balls to stand up to 'em!

Mike

Yeah $12.50.  

I think the league should penalize the refs & make the fine(s) public like they do with player's fines.

Last, but not least, kudos to Baker for having the balls to stand up to 'em!

Mike

@mjp28 said:

$12,500?  I guess he can take that out of his $33,000,000 contract or his many big buck national TV commercials......or maybe the pocket of his jeans hanging on the chair.   

It's like fining us a quarter for something, all we would have to do is get change for a dollar.

........oh and better officiating now that's an idea!!

BTW the cost for the referees is a very tiny part of the HUGE NFL budget. fix it!

I have no doubt that officiating in the NFL is very difficult. I remember years ago I got roped into officiating an intramural basketball game. It drove me crazy because there is contact all the time and when to call it and when not to? Never would I do it again. The refs in the NFL face these calls all the time and make split second decisions. We have cameras though that can catch some bad calls so we should use them more often to reverse obvious wrong calls. It's a technology we should use more as nothing is more frustrating to fans than to see obvious bad calls stand when they could and should be reversed.

Not in New York.

Put them in a room with all the camera angles up on their own screen, and fix this garbage.

It's not that difficult.

@oldbrownsfan said:

What is really frustrating for me is that with video we can catch some of the terrible calls yet many times the plays aren't review able. Simple fix is to make most plays review able where obvious bad calls can be corrected.

Case number ump-teen'ish... Jarvis Landry was not* fined for his blindside block though being flagged for one ?... cause it was found to be 100% legal.. What i don't get? Was there a view from the pylon cam from facing his front side at goal line? If games are only subject to TV camera views? than bring back The Flintstones   

........"The refs are never an excuse," Mayfield said. "I will probably get fined for saying this, but it was pretty bad today. The guy is squared up with [Landry], running at him and he is lowering his head into Jarvis. What is [Landry] supposed to do? Avoid him? This is not bull fighting. I don't know. It ticks me off.".......

I guess that the truth hurts sometimes, maybe look for the root cause of some of these problems like for example in Detroit which cost them a division win and gave the other team a bigger lead?

Well they can red flag a PI call now maybe one or two for obvious egregious errors by the referees?  True it is a difficult task officiating a game but with with a dozen cameras, big screen TV, high tech high speed everything why not help a FEW calls not everything.

Just a thought.

@mjp28 said:

$12,500?  I guess he can take that out of his $33,000,000 contract or his many big buck national TV commercials......or maybe the pocket of his jeans hanging on the chair.   

It's like fining us a quarter for something, all we would have to do is get change for a dollar.

You are right they live in a different world than us but the NFL's real problem is not the players and coaches criticism but the bad officiating itself. What is really frustrating for me is that with video we can catch some of the terrible calls yet many times the plays aren't review able. Simple fix is to make most plays review able where obvious bad calls can be corrected.