NFL Seeks a New Crew

The NFL, which has reached an impasse in labor talks with its officials, has mailed questionnaires to potential replacements from NFL Europe, the Arena Football League and the NCAA.

“We’re asking if they’d be interested in working,” league spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday. “We’re in the process of formulating replacement crews.”

That contingency plan will take effect if the contract dispute is not settled in time for the Sept. 9 season openers, although replacement crews could be in place for the final exhibition games at the end of the month.

The questionnaires were mailed Tuesday, the same day officials rejected the NFL’s offer of a 40%-pay increase this season and a doubling of salaries in 2003.

The two sides have been discussing a new agreement for more than a year, and the officials have been without a contract since March. Under the last deal, pay ranged from $1,431 a game for rookie officials to $4,330 for those with 20 years’ experience. An official assigned to a playoff game earned $10,000 and the Super Bowl crew earned $11,900.

Unlike officials in other sports, most of the 119 employed by the NFL have full-time careers in other areas. They generally work four exhibition games and 16 regular-season games.

Even if the labor dispute is settled and the regular officials return, their job will be slightly different. The league wants them to be more specific when announcing calls on the field.

For instance, an official last season might have thrown a flag and announced, “Illegal procedure, No. 78.” This season, that same official might elaborate by saying, “Illegal procedure, No. 78. The player moved his foot before the ball was snapped.”

Even some non-calls will be explained. An official might announce, “There was no pass interference because the ball was uncatchable.”