New pitch challenge (ABS) rule explained ... When can you challenge, and how many times?

The day is almost upon us. Players can finally 'argue' balls and strikes without getting tossed and making a shameful appearance on every highlight show later that night.

It's called the 'Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System' (ABS), and players will be able to use it during the entire 2026 season.

They teased us last year during spring training, making us wait an entire season, while screaming all kinds of creative language at our televisions.

But will this be a 'be careful what you wish for' feature, or is ABS here to stay?

Here's how it works:

• Each team will get three (3) challenges

• You lose a challenge if the umpire's ruling is confirmed

• You keep your challenge if the umpire's ruling is overturned

Only the batter, catcher, or pitcher can challenge the umpire's call. And here's the rub: if the umpire thinks anyone else helped with the challenge, he can overturn the challenge, whether he was right or wrong. Apparently, that happens all the time in the minors.

The new system will be available during all regular season games, extra-innings and throughout the postseason.

If the game goes to extra innings and a team is out of challenges, the team will be awarded one challenge per extra inning until the game is over.

The best part of the whole system is how fast it is. Immediately after the pitch is challenged, an animated graphic pops up (think of pro-tennis) and shows if the ball was in the strike zone or not.

Players will need to tap their helmets or caps to challenge a pitch. They're encouraged to say that they're challenging the pitch out loud, in case the ump's attention is elsewhere.

Fans who were surveyed during 2025 spring training love the challenge system, 71% to 29% in favor of keeping the system for regular season games.

NOTE: When a position player is pitching, challenges cannot be called. Also, if there's a video replay review, pitches and strikes cannot be challenged simultaneously. If a challenge and a replay review are requested simultaneously, the ABS challenge will be accepted first.

Here's a brief video recap: