College Baseball Adapts: Pitch Clock, ABS Challenges, and Enhanced Safety Measures

College baseball is undergoing a series of significant changes aimed at improving pace of play, ensuring fair calls, and enhancing player safety. These adjustments, ranging from modifications to the pitch clock rules to the introduction of Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge systems and enhanced safety netting, reflect a commitment to modernizing the game while preserving its core elements.

Pitch Clock Modifications and Visibility Requirements

To address concerns about game duration, college baseball has implemented a pitch clock. Previously, pitchers received a warning for the first violation of the 20-second clock, with subsequent violations resulting in a ball being added to the count. A notable modification addresses situations where a defensive player requests and is granted a timeout by an umpire. This scenario will now be treated the same as a step-off by the pitcher, effectively resetting the clock.

Ensuring the visibility of these clocks is another key element of the updated rules. All Division I games are required to have the between-innings and action clocks visible on the field by January 1, 2024, while Divisions II and III must comply by January 1, 2025. The clocks do not need to be permanently installed, but a minimum of one visible clock is mandatory, with multiple clocks being encouraged.

Expanding Video Replay Review

In a move towards greater accuracy and accountability, the use of video replay review has been expanded. Umpires now have the authority to initiate video reviews to determine whether malicious contact or misconduct has occurred. This enhancement aims to address potentially dangerous plays and ensure that appropriate disciplinary action can be taken when necessary.

Enhanced Dugout Safety

Player safety extends beyond on-field conduct. The panel approved a minimum 3-foot fence or protective netting be in place on the field side of dugouts. The fence/netting would be required in Division I by Jan 1, 2024, and in Divisions II and III by Jan.

Coaching Appeals on Base Plays

To streamline the process of appealing umpire decisions, all coaching appeals of an umpire's decision or interpretation of the rules for a play on the bases are to be made at the middle point of the team's respective foul line.

The Advent of ABS Challenge Systems

One of the most transformative changes in college baseball is the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system. This system, already tested in the minor leagues, allows players to challenge umpire calls on balls and strikes, adding a new layer of accountability and strategy to the game.

Debunking Myths About ABS

Several misconceptions surround the ABS challenge system. Let's address some of the most prevalent:

Myth: The number of ABS challenges each team has is quite limited.
- Reality: The number is perhaps better described as being two incorrect challenges per team. If a team challenges a pitch successfully, they get another challenge. Of course, that doesn’t happen very often.
Myth: The ABS challenge system will significantly lengthen game times.
- Reality: Consider that the average Triple-A game time in 2025 was 2:44. In 2023, when there was a hybrid system (full ABS in some games and challenge system in others), the average game time was 2:42. In 2022, the final year before any ABS experimentation in Triple-A, the average game time was 2:43. The challenge system is designed to be extremely quick, resolving challenges within seconds. Yes, the process takes about 10-15 seconds per challenge. But it also eliminates some of the arguments that often arose from players and coaches unhappy about pitch calls. With roughly four challenges per game, that’s an extra 40-60 seconds.
Myth: Catcher framing will become meaningless with ABS.
- Reality: In the ABS challenge system, more than 98% of pitches will still be called by the home plate umpire.
Myth: The ABS challenge system is easy for pitchers to adjust to.
- Reality: MLB has always been a tougher test than Triple-A, but for pitchers jumping from Double-A to Triple-A, the ABS challenge system has often proven to be a whole new world.

How the ABS Challenge System Works

Coaches aren’t allowed to challenge pitches-only a hitter, pitcher or catcher can call for a challenge. The idea behind this is to ensure that no player receives outside feedback before making a challenge. For example, a batter doesn’t get time to step out and think it over or look to the dugout for guidance. When the pitch is called, a player either taps his head or he doesn’t. On top of that, MLB purposefully delays pitch location information for a few seconds for games using the challenge system.

The Impact of ABS on the Game

While the ABS challenge system is not expected to fundamentally alter baseball, it will bring about notable changes:

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The adoption of ABS has meant that, for the past several years, the Triple-A strike zone has been very challenging for pitchers. The challenge system gives umpires constant feedback on what’s a ball and what’s a strike. However, as those adjustments have been coming to the MLB zone, the changes are getting much smaller. The number of called strikes in the shadow zone at the MLB level has dropped from 46.4% in 2024 to 42.2% in 2025.
From what we’ve seen in ABS challenge system testing, a bad call on a 1-0 or 0-1 pitch often doesn’t get challenged. In 2025, there were 650 called strikes that went unchallenged on pitches that were in the “chase” and “waste” zones, while there were three pitches called balls on pitches right in the middle of the zone. Teams also have to establish a strategy about who gets to initiate challenges. As noted above, only catchers, pitchers and hitters are allowed to make a challenge. In Triple-A, we’ve heard stories of hitters who have been told to never challenge pitches because they are so bad at it. “Early in a game, if a catcher isn’t absolutely sure, they’re not going to burn one,” said the Triple-A pitcher. “It’s going to be very fun to see which players have good strike zone knowledge,” Stock said. “For instance, does Juan Soto have immaculate knowledge of the zone? Or is he just really good at taking anything close, both balls and strikes alike?
The constant back-and-forth between hitters, catchers and pitchers trying to work the umpire and complain about questionable calls fades away when an ABS system is in effect. If a player thinks the umpire blew the call, he can just challenge it. Within 10 seconds, there’s an answer. If the player was right, the call is overturned and the game continues. If the player was wrong, the umpire’s call is confirmed and the player has no further reason to complain. “There’s 99% less (complaining) from the dugouts about the strike zone,” Stock said. “If you don’t like a call, then challenge it.
One entertaining side effect of the way the ABS system is used is that it gets fans involved, too, as they see the decision made at the same time as the players and umpires. At that point, everyone turns to watch the jumbo video screen in the outfield. The animation shows the pitch come in, and only when it crosses the plate do you see the pitch’s location. In general, crowds seem to enjoy the drama of the moment.
Every now and then in Triple-A, you will see a challenge on a clearly blown call. But much more often, though, challenges come on pitches that have either grazed the corner of the zone or just missed it. Many of these calls are being made on pitches that either miss or touch the strike zone by the narrowest of margins. While the ABS system is designed to ensure that an egregiously bad call doesn’t affect the game, it also ends up showing just how talented the game’s top-tier pitchers, catchers, hitters and umpires are.

Umpire Authority and Limitations

While the ABS system introduces a technological element to calling balls and strikes, it's important to remember the existing rules governing umpire authority:

(a) Any umpire’s decision which involves judgment, such as, but not limited to, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out, is final. Players leaving their position in the field or on base, or managers or coaches leaving the bench or coaches box, to argue on BALLS AND STRIKES will not be permitted. They should be warned if they start for the plate to protest the call.

(b) If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire’s decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made.

(c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision may ask another umpire for information before making a final decision. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire’s decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it. If the umpires consult after a play and change a call that had been made, then they have the authority to take all steps that they may deem necessary, in their discretion, to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing, including placing runners where they think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been made as the initial call, disregarding interference or obstruction that may have occurred on the play; failures of runners to tag up based upon the initial call on the field; runners passing other runners or missing bases; etc., all in the discretion of the umpires. No player, manager or coach shall be permitted to argue the exercise of the umpires’ discretion in resolving the play and any person so arguing shall be subject to ejection. A manager is permitted to ask the umpires for an explanation of the play and how the umpires have exercised their discretion to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that the umpires are reversing. Once the umpires explain the result of the play, however, no one is permitted to argue that the umpires should have exercised their discretion in a different manner. The manager or the catcher may request the plate umpire to ask his partner for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a strike. The manager may not complain that the umpire made an improper call, but only that he did not ask his partner for help. Field umpires must be alerted to the request from the plate umpire and quickly respond. Managers may not protest the call of a ball or strike on the pretense they are asking for information about a half swing. Appeals on a half swing may be made only on the call of ball and when asked to appeal, the home plate umpire must refer to a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Should the base umpire call the pitch a strike, the strike call shall prevail. Appeals on a half swing must be made before the next pitch, or any play or attempted play. If the half swing occurs during a play which ends a half-inning, the appeal must be made before all infielders of the defensive team leave fair territory. Baserunners must be alert to the possibility that the base umpire on appeal from the plate umpire may reverse the call of a ball to the call of a strike, in which event the runner is in jeopardy of being out by the catcher’s throw. Also, a catcher must be alert in a base stealing situation if a ball call is reversed to a strike by the base umpire upon appeal from the plate umpire. The ball is in play on appeal on a half swing.

(d) No umpire may be replaced during a game unless he is injured or becomes ill. If there is only one umpire, he shall have complete jurisdiction in administering the rules. He may take any position on the playing field which will enable him to discharge his duties (usually behind the catcher, but sometimes behind the pitcher if there are runners).

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(e) If there are two or more umpires, one shall be designated umpire-in-chief and the others field umpires.

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