MLB announced changes to pace of game and instant replay
review for 2015 designed to cut down on game times. For the upcoming season,
Major League Baseball's Pace of Game and Instant Replay Committees—with the
approval of the MLB Players Association and World Umpires Association—announced
the following rules and enforcement changes:
Managers now will challenge plays from the dugout. The
invocation of the Manager's Challenge will be signaled verbally or with a hand
gesture by the manager from the top step of the dugout. The Manager will still
be permitted to hold play while consulting with replay and coaching personnel.
In the event of an inning-ending play to be reviewed, the Manager will be
required to leave the dugout immediately to challenge the call, as in 2014.
As a result of the unreviewable play that was overturned in Kansas City, MLB has
added properly touching a base on a tag-up play (including whether a runner left
early) to the list of reviewable plays.
A manager will now retain the challenge after every overturned call, instead of
losing his challenge after its second use, regardless of whether the second call
was reversed or affirmed.
As a result of the Rule 7.13 loophole, wherein safe/out plays at home plate
could be reviewed "for free" (Crew Chief Review) instead of by Manager's
Challenge, MLB has now decided that all home-plate collision reviews must be
initiated via Manager's Challenge, unless the Manager is out of challenge after
the start of the seventh inning, in which case the Crew Chief Review is
available as it would be for any other reviewable play. This leaves 2008-era
HR/boundary calls as the only play that always is initiated by the umpiring Crew
Chief.
During Premier Events (postseason, regular season tiebreaker and All-Star
games), Managers will now have two challenges per game.
Pace of Game Rules Changes
Umpires will enforce Rule 6.02(d), the batter's box pace of play rule that
previously applied only to National Association, or Minor League games. The rule
requires batters to keep one foot in the batter's box throughout the at-bat
unless: the batter swings at a pitch, the batter is forced out of the box by a
pitch, the umpire grants a request of "Time," a play is made on a runner at any
base, the batter feints a bunt, a wild pitch or passed ball occurs, the pitcher
leaves the dirt of the mound after receiving the ball or the catcher leaves the
catcher's box to give signals. The penalty for
violation is the award of an automatic strike.
Inning breaks and pitching changes will now be timed by an MLB timer and the
eight-pitch warm-up will be forgone in favor of the time. For instance, a
pitcher will have 2 minutes and 15 seconds in which to throw as many warm-up
pitches as he wishes for a nationally televised game (1:55 for locally televised
games). If he throws less than eight, he forfeits the opportunity to throw the
remainder of the traditional allotment. The penalty
for violation is a League-issued warning and fine.