The NFL competition committee will "recommend to owners that they begin hiring full-time officials" in time for the '17 season, according to a source cited by Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. The decision, "reached during a series of recent meetings to prepare for next week's owners meetings, represents an acceleration of a previously reported timeline." It would also be a "significant change in the way the league has long administered its officiating program." For most of its recent history, officials have been "part-time employees and union members who work other jobs during the week and in the offseason." The league will "focus first on referees, following a structure outlined years ago" by former NFL VP/Officiating Mike Pereira. The committee's recommendation is to "approach referees first and give them an opportunity to phase into a program that would be mandatory by the end of this decade." The league is "prepared for some current referees to opt out and either leave the league or accept a demotion to another on-field role" (ESPN.com, 3/20).
CUTTING TIME: In DC, Mark Maske cites a source as saying that the NFL’s competition committee is also "considering a proposal to trim overtime sessions to 10 minutes during the preseason and regular season." Overtime currently lasts 15 minutes. The reduction would "save wear and tear on players." The potential downside is the "possibility that it could increase the number of ties during the regular season." Overtime rules "presumably would remain unchanged" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/21). The idea to change the length of overtime is "simply in the proposal stage right now -- and not guaranteed to pass -- but it's certainly one of the more intriguing potential rule changes in some time" (NFL.com, 3/20).
