Pace of game has been a major topic across baseball for quite some time, but throughout the 2014 season, the issue really seemed to gain some steam.

Baseball is certainly aware that games are getting longer and to combat that a Pace of Game Committee was officially announced on September 22nd.

Baseball games – especially when watching on television – sometimes can drag on, but if someone doesn’t like a three hour and 15 minute game for it’s length, I’m not sure how appealing a two hour and fifty minute game will be. Unless baseball find a way to drastically reduce the time of game, it just seems like one of those things where you either like it or you don’t.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to fault baseball for trying.

In the upcoming Arizona Fall League several new pace of game initiatives will be game tested in an effort to speed up the game and potentially make changes to the Major Leagues in the future.

“The Pace of Game Committee is eager to test various ideas – ranging from the incremental to the dramatic – in order to learn more, and we are fortunate to have a setting in which we can do exactly that,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a press release. “We will work with the appropriate parties – including players, umpires, our partners, our fans and many other contributors to our game – to form effective pace of game recommendations that will fit the Major League level.”

So what are these new initiatives and what can fans expect to see in the Arizona Fall League?

• Batter’s Box Rule: With the exception of foul balls, wild pitches or a time out the batter must keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout his at-bat.
• No-Pitch Intentional Walks: If the manager wants to walk a player, he simply signals to the umpire and the batter is awarded first base. Personally, I love this rule and think it should have been in effect sooner. It won’t save a ton of time (how many intentional walks in an average game? 1?) but it does help.
• 2:05 Inning Break Clock: The break between innings will be just over two minutes. If the batter takes too long the umpire can call a strike, if the pitcher takes too long the umpire can call a ball.
• 2:30 Pitching Change Break: Teams get two and a half minutes to make a pitching change. If the first pitch isn’t thrown within 2:30, the umpire will call a ball.
• Three “Time Outs”: Each team is only allowed three in-game conferences. Pitching change and injury-related items do not count toward this total. Where this rule will really come into effect is pitching coach visits to the mound and a third base coach talking to the batter. With just three of those allowed per game, it looks like there will be a new type of strategy that managers will have to consider.
• The 20-Second Rule: This is seemingly the most drastic change that fans will observe in the Arizona Fall League.
  • Directly from MLB’s press release: “In the In the AFL games at Salt River, a clock will be displayed in both dugouts, behind home plate, and in the outfield. The clock will be operated by an independent operator, who is not a member of the umpire crew. A pitcher shall be allowed 20 seconds to throw each pitch. The batter must be in the box prepared for the pitch during the entire 20-second period. If the batter steps out of the box during the 20-second period, the pitcher may deliver the pitch and the umpire may call a strike, unless the batter was first granted time by the umpire.”
  • The 20-second clock will start when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and will stop when the pitcher begins his motion – not when he releases the ball.

Needless to say, not all of these rules will be flawlessly implemented into the Fall League. There will certainly be bumps in the road as everyone gets used to the changes and adjusts aspects of their routines, but it will still be fun to see the impact these changes have on the game.