‘Faster and more fun’ The 2023 KBO League runs fast with an average game time of 3 hours and 5 minutes per game (based on regular innings).
The KBO normalized the strike zone for the 2022 season and strengthened speed-up regulations. The average time required for 720 regular season games in the 2022 season (based on 9 innings) was 3 hours and 11 minutes, 3 minutes faster than 3 hours and 14 minutes in 2021. Walks per game decreased to 6.90 from 8.38 in 2021.
The KBO strengthens the speed-up regulations with the goal of presenting more fun and thrilling games to fans through faster progress in the 2023 season.
First of all, the manager and coach’s mound visit time during the game is strictly applied.
League Rules [Speed-up of game] 3. Pitcher replacement ② (previous content omitted) ‘When visiting the mound, the manager, coach, or player moves as quickly as possible, and each visit is limited to 30 seconds (omitted). When 30 seconds have elapsed, the referee notifies this, and the manager or coach must immediately return to the dugout.’ It is changed to ‘You must return to the dugout immediately’ and ‘the catcher must complete the preparation for the catch after 30 seconds have elapsed’ is added.
From the 2023 season, the manager and coach at the 25 second point of the visit moved to the dugout, and the catcher completed the catcher 메이저놀이터preparation at the 30 second point, supplementing the regulations so that the game can proceed faster.
From the moment you enter the plate, at least one foot is placed in the plate and a fine of 200,000 won is imposed in case of violation. The referee will thoroughly check whether the batter has violated the departure rules and lead compliance with the rules, except for cases where departure is unavoidably allowed.
In addition, the speed-up evaluation is conducted in the referee evaluation to ensure that the referee actively runs the game with an emphasis on speed-up. Items such as ‘Application of strict speed-up regulations’, ‘Active encouragement of speed-up’, and ‘Smooth progress and rapid contribution to the game’ are added to the referee’s evaluation.
In addition, during cleaning time, players on standby are prohibited from having private conversations with opponents on the ground. In addition, the access to the referee room for athletes and team executives is strictly restricted, and personal contact is prohibited. The above is a measure to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings and strengthen fairness.
With this speedup enhancement, KBO has set a clear goal of shortening the average game time of regular innings in the 2023 regular season by less than 3 hours and 5 minutes. In addition, we plan to do our best to continuously shorten the game time by researching the establishment of new regulations that allow speed-up and reviewing their application. We plan to announce monthly speed-up statistics so that more league officials can pay attention to speed-up.