Bulls Begin ABS Challenge Games

Fans may or may not notice on first glance, but since the start of this most recent homestand on Tuesday, April 25, games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park have been played using the Automatic Balls and Strikes (ABS) system.

For Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday games, the system determines if a called pitch is a ball or strike and feeds that information directly to the home plate umpire through an earpiece. The home plate umpire will then signal appropriately. Other calls, including check swings and foul balls, are still determined by the on-field umpiring crew.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, meanwhile, are ABS Challenge games. In these games the home plate umpire calls balls and strikes unaided by the ABS system. Each team is permitted to challenge an individual strike or ball call, with challenges limited to the batter, pitcher or catcher. A challenge call cannot come from the dugout or another player.

Here are some more details on how the system works:

• Each team will have three challenges per game (irrespective of whether on offense or defense)
• If the team wins their challenge, meaning the call on the field is overturned, the team keeps their challenge. If the team loses the challenge, meaning the call on the field stands, the team loses one of their three challenge attempts. If all three challenges are lost, the team can no longer call for a challenge.
• Once a challenge is initiated, the umpire will signal to the ABS Tech located in the Press Box, who will then radio to the Bulls control booth to initiate an animation for that pitch that will be shown on the video board. The umpire will also receive notification of the decision and will then signal the call.
• If the system does not track the pitch, the pitch cannot be challenged and the call on the field stands.

For some Bulls players this will be new, while others will be familiar with this system. Last year the ABS system was in place in Charlotte, where Durham played 15 times last season, as well as all Pacific Coast League ballparks. The ABS Challenge system was also in use during the postseason last year in the International League Championship Game and Triple-A National Championship Game.

Click here to learn more about the ABS system.