The NFL and its officials' union appear to be nearing an end to the lockout that has placed the games of the first three weeks of this season in the hands of replacement referees.
NFL.com reported that the league and the NFL Referees Association intensified talks on Wednesday morning, two days after the sport received a black eye by a highly controversial ruling that decided Monday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
The two sides have reportedly agreed to establish a developmental program for officials that will be overseen by the existing crews, a compromise to the NFL's initial call for 21 current replacement officials to be added to the present 121-member group of the Referees Association.
Under the revised agreement, the developmental officials would work with the regular crews during the week, but would not be NFLRA members or participate in games initially. They could be considered for NFLRA membership over time, however, following an evaluation period, with the overall financial pool to be adjusted accordingly to count for new officials.
Discussions towards ending the lockout were picked up in the wake of Monday's frenetic finish between the Seahawks and Packers, in which the replacement crew awarded Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate a game-winning touchdown catch while battling with Green Bay defensive back M.D. Jennings.
The NFL issued a statement on Tuesday supporting the substitute officials' call of simultaneous possession that would correctly give Tate an official catch, though the league also stated that Tate should have been penalized for offensive pass interference on the play, which would have negated a touchdown.
The current schedule structure has also helped trigger the league's desire to get a deal done. With only two teams -- Pittsburgh and Indianapolis -- having byes in the upcoming week, the NFL would be in its best position to ensure that the majority of its franchises would have the same amount of games under the replacement groups.
NFL.com also stated that a chance exists that the regular officials could be working this weekend's game, though a deal would have to be in place prior to Thursday's Cleveland-Baltimore contest in order to prevent an inequity.
The league and Referees Association still have yet to resolve their differences over financial issues, most notably retirement benefits.
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