Major League Baseball Announces Pace-of-Play Rule Changes
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Photos.com/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — In an effort to help speed up the game, Major League Baseball on Friday announced pace-of-play rule changes for the upcoming 2015 season.
Back in September, Major League Baseball put together a pace-of-game committee after the average MLB game rose to a record average of 3 hours, 2 minutes in 2014.
In the new rules, managers must stay in the dugout during replay challenges, and batters must keep at least one foot in the batter’s box during an at-bat, as well as a prompt return to play after TV commercial breaks and timed pitching changes.
“These changes represent a step forward in our efforts to streamline the pace of play,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The most fundamental starting point for improving the pace of the average game involves getting into and out of breaks seamlessly. In addition, the batter’s box rule will help speed up a basic action of the game.”
Players/managers who violate the new rules will initially receive a warning, and “flagrant violators” are subject to fines that could reach $500.
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