Johnny Phelps: NFL tackles the men in stripes

Phelps

CNNSI Correspondent Johnny Phelps reports on the breakdown of talks between the NFL and NFL Referees Association. The league has decided to use replacement officials for this week's exhibition games, the first labor stoppage among officials in NFL history.

Q: What are some of the major rules differences between college football and the NFL, which could cause problems for replacement referees?

A: There are more than 60 different rules between college and the NFL, and most of the replacement officials are coming from the college ranks. But the two most significant differences are:

1) in college a player is down when his knee hits the ground, and in the pros he can resume running if not touched 2) A receiver needs one foot in bounds in college for a completed pass, but both feet must be in bounds in the pros.

Q: Are all of the regular NFL officials being locked out? A: No, replay officials who work "upstairs" in the broadcast booth and former on-field officials are still working.

Q: Has the NFL ever had such a labor dispute with officials before?

A: No, and this is the first serious NFL labor problem since the players' strike in 1987.

Q: Do officials in other leagues earn more than NFL officials? A: Yes, that's part of the problem. The NFL considers its officials part-time. Starting officials used to earn less than $30,000 a year. In basketball, baseball and hockey, first-year officials start at around $93,000.