The KBO is introducing a new game system, including penalty kicks, to enhance its competitiveness in international competitions and make the game more entertaining.
The KBO has formed a task force to organize a long-term project to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean baseball, including improving the strength of the national team, improving the game system, developing promising players and leaders, and expanding the baseball community.
First, the KBO plans to operate a full-time managerial system that can provide long-term and consistent direction for the national team until the 2026 WBC. A full-time coach will also be appointed to assist the manager and study the national team’s direction and policies.
Unlike the past, when the national team was convened close to the tournament, the national team will be operated by holding evaluation games and exchange games against overseas teams on a regular basis.
In addition, the national team will organize exhibition games with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres ahead of the 2024 MLB Seoul Opening Day, and will play against teams from various countries every year to accumulate international competitiveness and experience for domestic players.
The Korean National Baseball Team has been eliminated in the first round of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the last three consecutive tournaments and has not been competitive at the Olympics.
The biggest change for fans will be the KBO’s rules, which will change from the 2023 season.
The KBO has been working with MLB to study and discuss automatic ball-strike judgment systems (ABS) and pitch clocks. We have traveled to the United States to see how ABS and pitch clock work and are preparing to introduce them to the league.
First, we will adopt the pitch clock used by MLB to prepare for the change in international competition rules and to speed up the game. In the second half of ’23, we will overhaul the relevant regulations and install pitch-clock operating equipment at all stadiums in the Futures League and KBO. After that, the Futures League will apply the rules in the 24th season, and the KBO League will introduce the pitch clock system as soon as possible after piloting it in the 24th season.
Speed-ups such as shortening the game time and abolishing draws will increase interest in the league, and the introduction of overtime penalty kicks to strengthen league competitiveness by applying international competition regulations will also be promoted.
The extra-time penalty shootout, which has been implemented in the Futures League since the 22nd season, will be applied to the KBO League from the 24th season. If the game is not settled by the ninth inning, it is being considered to hold a penalty shootout from the 10th inning until the game is decided.
Regarding increasing the size of the base to prevent collisions between runners and fielders, we will consider revising the rule in the second half of 23 and introducing it to the Futures League and KBO League from the 24th season.
Limiting defensive shifts will also be discussed. Defensive teams will limit shifts so that a minimum of four infielders must be in the infield at the time of the pitch, with two infielders on each side of the second base line. The Futures League will begin implementing these rules in the 24th season and the KBO will begin implementing them in the 25th season.
The KBO will also implement a rule already in place in the MLB and WBC that requires pitchers to face at least three batters or pitch until the end of the inning. This rule, which the national team experienced at the last WBC, will be applied to the Futures League in the 24th season, and the KBO is preparing to apply it from the 25th season.
In addition, the league is preparing to introduce an automated ball-and-strike judgment system (ABS) with a long-term perspective to strengthen league fairness and innovatively improve the viewing experience for fans.
The KBO has already been operating its own automated judgment system in official games of the Futures League since 2020 and has made improvements to stabilize the system, such as reducing judgment time. The KBO is comprehensively analyzing the impact of ABS on the game if it is introduced to the KBO League.체스카지노
The KBO pays close attention to automatic ball strike judgment and continues to cooperate and exchange with Major League Baseball, which has implemented ABS. We are closely monitoring MLB’s process of supplementing the precedent-setting system to introduce ABS to the regular season and will determine if and when it is finally implemented based on the results.