NFL Takes First Step Toward Officiating Change for 2026

The NFL has officially begun an officiating change that players are very much in fear of.

According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the league has officially begun the process for replacement officials. The last time the NFL had replacement referees, there was the infamous "Fail Mary!" play.

Officials will begin to get assigned to offseason practices in June.

"The NFL informed clubs today that the league's officiating staff has begun onboarding potential replacement officials and will conduct training sessions next month in preparation for assigning the officials to offseason practices starting June 1, according to a memo obtained by NFL Network. Several officials have already completed required background checks and will soon be given physical exams. The league reiterated in the memo that it 'remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the NFL Referees Association but will be fully prepared should the current agreement expire' on May 31," he reported.

The NFL is currently in the middle of a negotiation with the officiating union.

However, NFL players will not enjoy the replacement refs - that is clear.

NFL fans weigh in on the possible change

"Another year of replacement refs will be a disaster! Not that regular ones are always great, but they're better than replacements. We've been down that road before," one fan wrote.

"The replacement officials storyline is flying under the radar with draft week coming. This could have real on-field consequences heading into the regular season. Worth watching closely," one fan added.

"I don't want to hear the league say it cares about the product on the field ever again. We know how this goes and it's going to be brutal," one fan added.

"Hire full time refs and be done with it. And stop the overseas games too," one fan added.

It's going to be an eventful year.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 5:32 PM.