MLB votes to allow UMPS robot for challenges during season 2026

For the first time in the history of MLB, balls and strikes can be challenged from the regular season 2026.

The automated ball/strike challenge system (ABS), which appeared during spring training to test it at the major league level, will be implemented after the Joint Competition Committee voted on Tuesday afternoon.

The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, made an announcement about the massive change to baseball game.

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“The changes of previous rules that have adopted the Joint Committee of Competition have had the power to permanent and created impulse for the game,” he said in a statement. “We use the same process with ABS that began listening to fans, performing extensive tests at the level of minor leagues and trying in each step to improve the game. Throughout this process, we have worked on the implementation of the system in a way that is acceptable for the players. The strong preference of the players for the challenge format about the use of technology to call each launch was a key factor in determining the system that we announced today.”

As Manfred mentioned, this is not a total acquisition of “UMPS Robot” in MLB, since the regular referees will continue behind the plate by calling balls and strikes. On the other hand, the system is a middle -term type, since the ABS challenge system allows the equipment to request a rapid review of very important calls for the coup during a game.

The controversial automated strike system is a “good addition”, but needs development, says MLB All-Star

This is how it will work:

• Each team gets two challenges each to start a game. If the challenge is successful, the team maintains said challenge to use later in the game.
• If the game enters additional tickets, any team that begins the tenth post without its two challenges before in the game will get one more. If they use that challenge, they will receive another at the 11th entry, etc.
• If a team still has challenges that enter additional tickets, you will not have one added in the tenth entrance.
• This system will be used for both regular and postseason season.

So, according to the amount of challenges, this will not maintain the game, since the game rhythm remains a priority for MLB. But it also makes it extremely strategic for IT for equipment. Players must be intelligent when it is the right time to implement these two challenges.

To issue a challenge, the batter, the pitcher or the receiver has the ability to tell the referee who wants a second look. The player will take advantage of his cap or helmet to tell the referee of his desire to challenge the call. And it is worth noting that a manager or coach cannot issue the challenge, he must be the player.

The system is executed in a 5G private network of T-Mobile for advanced business network solutions. The Hawk-Eye League technology will run in the background and monitor launch locations throughout the game in relation to the batting area of ​​the batter.

When a call is challenged, the Hawk-Eye view will be transmitted rapidly through the 5G network, and will be shown almost instantly to the spectators in each stadium through the Videoboard, as well as the starting spectators in the respective transmissions.

“We have achieved a lot through our Long Data Association with MLB, and the deployment of ABS, driven by 5G T-Mobile, is one of our most exciting milestones so far,” said Mike Katz, market president, strategy and T-Mobile products, in a statement. “It is a powerful example of how we are using our technology to help MLB innovate, while preserving the character of the game we love.”

MLB saw the system used in 288 spring training games in 2025, with an average of 4.1 game challenges. These challenges took an average of 13.8 seconds to get the call just before resuming the game.

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During spring training challenges, the players took advantage of their cap or helmet with 2.6% of all the releases called. The overturned rate was 52.2%, which was higher than the 50% dump rate at the triple level to this year. The pitchers and receptors were more successful in their challenges than the batters (54.4% to 50%, respectively).

Technology continues to change sports as it becomes more advanced, and since the referees have always been a hot topic for both fans and players, it will be interesting to see this challenge system implemented next season.

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