Overview
- The NCAA announced the experimental Automated Ball‑Strike (ABS) challenge system for the 2027 season, giving teams the option to use technology to review ball and strike calls.
- The Baseball Oversight Committee narrowed initial plans so ABS can be used only in conference contests for 2027, a change reported after the committees’ broader approval.
- Under the college model, the home‑plate umpire will make the initial call and the batter, catcher, or pitcher can immediately request a review; each team starts with three challenges and keeps a challenge if it is successful.
- Use will depend on whether a stadium has the necessary tracking hardware, which means adoption will be uneven across programs and could affect midweek scheduling, conference play, and competitive balance.
- The move comes with other 2027 experiments — optional 18‑inch bases, a required double first base, a Division I 30‑second between‑batters timer, pitcher disengagement tests, and a three‑batter minimum — and follows SEC testing that reported 105 challenges with 59 overturns, a 56.2% overturn rate.