Pitch timer
Pitchers must begin their delivery before the timer expires — 15 seconds with the bases empty, 20 with runners on. Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least 8 seconds left. Violations are automatic: a ball on the pitcher, a strike on the batter.
- 15 seconds with nobody on, 20 seconds with runners aboard; 30 seconds between batters.
- Pitcher violation: automatic ball. Batter not alert by the 8-second mark: automatic strike.
- A batter gets one timeout per plate appearance.
- Timer strikes and balls are real — a batter can strike out or walk without a pitch being thrown.
Full count, pitcher lets the clock hit zero.
Ruling · Automatic ball four — the batter walks without a pitch, and it counts as a walk in the books.
Automatic balls and strikes move counts without pitches, and a timer walk or strikeout is recorded exactly like a normal one.
Reference note: one or more section citations on this page are being verified against the current official rulebook edition. The explanation reflects the rule as played; confirm the exact subsection in the official text.