NFL to kick off with the replacements

By: ABC57 Staff

Posted: Sep 5, 2012 10:31 PM EDT | Updated: Nov 6, 2014 10:28 AM EDT

The NFL season kicks off Wednesday night with the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys.

And some of the league's finest will be missing.

Replacement referees will be used to officiate the game. The regular refs are in contract negotiations.

In the meantime, the league hired replacement refs from the college and high school ranks.

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber says the replacement refs face big challenges in the big league.

"The speed of the game is so much faster and also the pace of the game is so much faster, things are happening faster, not just the play on the field, and it's easy to get confused or caught up in the moment," Barber said.

The 121 NFL referees are considered part-time workers and have outside careers. Last year, they were paid an average of nearly $150,000, plus benefits.