Negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association have advanced significantly, leading to a scheduled ratification vote on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set for Thursday night. If approved, the agreement will prevent the use of replacement officials, which the NFL had begun to recruit from college ranks earlier this year. The existing CBA is set to expire on May 31, and specific terms of the new agreement have not yet been disclosed. The negotiations, which have been ongoing for over two years, reached a stalemate earlier this winter, prompting the NFL to prepare for potential disruptions. Owners had previously approved rules to allow league staff to assist in officiating games, but these measures were contingent on the use of replacement officials, making them irrelevant if the new CBA is ratified. The NFL's negotiators aimed to leverage the CBA expiration to implement significant changes in officiating, including longer probationary periods for new hires and adjustments to postseason eligibility based on seniority.