Referees can now review replays via Zoom

NEW YORK (AP) — Umpires will have a new look this MLB season: Zoom.

Major League Baseball has reached an agreement with Zoom Video Communications Inc. to allow on-field umpires to watch replays that the operations center will evaluate for disputed decisions.

MLB began using replays in September 2008 for home plate decisions and expanded it to other decisions prior to the 2014 season. The previous season had 1,434 video reviews, including 1,261 team challenges , which led to the change of 50.2% of the decisions.

Until now, the Chief of Staff in the field listened to the replay referee in New York only via audio with the referee first making the decision if different from the Chief of Staff .

Referees walked to the corner of the pitch until 2013 to listen with a blindfold, between 2014 and 2021 an assistant brought them a blindfold on the pitch. Last year, umpires switched to headphones with a wireless belt and for the first time, MLB allowed them to call the replay and decision through the park audio system.

This year, a technician will bring a 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet to referees on the pitch. They will be connected to the Zoom contact center and the replay operations center to watch the play. The replay referee always has the final decision.

“You’ll be able to see who’s in the chair, who might be with the person, what game they’re watching, and they’ll be able to visually interact with the traditional audio system they’ve been chatting with over audio,” the Chief Operating and Strategy Officer said. of MLB Chris Marinak.

Select broadcast partners will have access to referee Zoom video such as: Apple TV+ and MLB Network Showcase. Marinak added that the technology could become available in the playoffs for broadcast partners and in-park video.

MLB will also use Zoom on the first day of the amateur draft in Seattle on July 9, but it’s too early to tell if Zoom will be integrated with robot plate umpires, the hitting system that will be tested this season in Triple-A.

“The entire ecosystem is open to innovation and experimentation,” Marinak warned.