New time restrictions for replay reviews implemented for '23

A quicker pace of play this season will be accompanied by a quicker pace of replay.

In conjunction with the arrival of the pitch timer, managers will have a shorter window of time to request replay reviews. Because replay review was only used in Spring Training games at Salt River and Tropicana Field, most managers have yet to experience these new time restrictions, but they will be in effect for the regular season and postseason, beginning with Opening Day on Thursday.

? Complete coverage of this year's new rules

As part of the new replay procedures, managers must hold their hands up immediately after a play to signal to the umpires that they are considering a challenge. This is a change from the previous rule, which allowed 10 seconds before managers had to give such a signal.

Once the manager alerts the umpire to a potential challenge, the umpire will initiate a 15-second timer. The manager must then decide whether to challenge the call on the field before that timer reaches zero. Otherwise, any challenge request would be denied. Previously, managers had 20 seconds to decide whether to challenge. Managers have been instructed that the 15-second timer will be strictly enforced.

Once a review is requested, the system operates as it has in the past. As usual, each team will have one challenge per game and maintain that challenge each time a call gets overturned.

Last season, an average of 0.59 replay reviews were requested per game. The average time of a replay review from the moment a team challenged to the umpire’s announced verdict was 1 minute, 31 seconds.

Earlier this spring, MLB announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Zoom in which games televised by MLB Network and Apple TV+ will provide a live look at the Zoom Replay Operates Center during replay reviews and hear from an expert rules analyst who will discuss replay reviews with the broadcast team. The goal of this new arrangement is to create a more transparent review process.