The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have reached a seven-year collective bargaining agreement, the league announced Saturday.
The agreement will run through May 31, 2026; the current CBA was scheduled to expire in May 2020.
The agreement was ratified by a vote of NFLRA membership Saturday, the league said.
“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, the league's executive VP 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.”
The CBA covers compensation and benefits issues and puts an emphasis on training and development of officials, the NFL said in a release.
“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,” NFLRA Executive Director Scott Green said.
The previous agreement was reached after the NFL locked out its officials in 2012, a move that resulted in a number of high-profile mistakes by the replacement officials.
"It is good to get these negotiations behind us," said NFLRA President Tony Steratore, who is in his 20th year as an NFL official. "We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better. We all must keep pace with the speed and skill of the players, not to mention the increased use of technology.”