NFL refs return Thursday - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

The real referees return Thursday night.

The NFL lifted the lockout for tonight's Ravens-Browns game after the league and union came to a tentative agreement that will sideline the replacement refs and give the regular officials back their whistles and more money.

The negotiations went late into the night, just an indication of just how much pressure there was on the league and the officials union to strike a deal.

That's exactly what happened, and it turns out the officials got almost everything they were asking for.

"The refs won because America realizes how good they are," said Peter King, NBC Sports.

The pension scheme will remain more or less the same for the next four years. They also get an increase in salary from $125,000 a year to $205,000 a year.

"The owners and the commissioner remembered something this time. They work for the fans," said Mike Lupica, New York Daily News.

They will have to submit to officials training, which is one of the NFL's stipulations.

This is tentative until the officials union can vote on it on Friday and Saturday. It follows three weeks of miscalls, bad calls, and general chaos.

The good news for players coaches and fans is that Thursday night's game between the Ravens and the Browns will be officiated by full time NFL referees.