Report: Head of NFL officials says negotitations are not at impasse

The head of the NFL Referees Association is confident his group can get a new labor deal in place before the start of the 2012 season, now four months off.

Tim Millis, a former official in the league, told Mark Maske of the Washington Post the sides are not at an impasse and he expects continued negotiations at some point this month.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reported earlier this week that the NFL will begin scouting out possible replacement officials to ensure they have a fallback plan for the start of the season. The sides have been working to get a deal done since October.

“We’ll continue until we get it done,” Millis told Maske. “Contrary to what I’ve read in some places, we are not at an impasse. Sometimes it takes shorter. Sometimes it takes longer. It’s part of the process.”

The NFL played one week in 2001 with replacement officials.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune