The question if robo umps are coming to baseball looks to becoming clearer by the day. During the Arizona Fall League, MLB is testing the use of check swing technology provided by sports technology provider Hawk-Eye. Hawk-Eye is recognized as a global leader in the live sports arena, pioneering change across Broadcast Production, Officiating and Performance through cutting-edge technology.
Major League Baseball is testing a check-swing challenge system in the Arizona Fall League this fall, using Hawk-Eye cameras installed around the stadium. As the check-swing rule stands now, if the manager or the catcher believes the home plate umpire’s judgment is wrong, they can request that umpire to ask for help from the umpire at first or third base. If the home plate umpire grants the request, then whatever the assisting umpire decides is final. Under this new camera-aided system, however, there’s another level of review. Catchers and managers can still ask the home plate umpire to request help, but if the players disagree with the call, they can now challenge and go to the video to see if the swing crossed the 45-degree threshold that differentiates a check swing from a full swing.
Only hitters, pitchers and catchers may challenge a check swing, and each team is afforded two challenges per game with an extra third if two are used by the ninth inning.
At the moment, no change to the current MLB rules; but with the Pioneer League* testing out the “Strike Zone Challenge” and the Arizona Fall League testing check swing technology Major League Baseball is moving closer to finding the right balance of human and robot umpires.
*The Pioneer Baseball League, an MLB Partner League, today announced that it has introduced a new rule called the "Strike Zone Challenge", allowing any batter, pitcher or catcher to challenge a strike or ball call in real-time using an automated ball-strike system.
The PBL's computerized strike zone system employs the TrackMan data capture technology already present in each PBL ballpark to track a pitched ball where it crosses or misses the plate.
