Major League Baseball’s competition committee approved several rule changes for the 2024 season, including subtracting two seconds from the pitch timer with men on base — from 20 to 18 seconds — while also widening the runner’s lane to first.
Previously, batters had to essentially run on the dirt between the foul line and 3-foot line or be in risk of being called out for interference. Now, that lane will extend to the cut of the infield grass. The distance between the foul line and the infield grass will be between 18 and 24 inches in all parks, with some limited grace periods granted by MLB due to difficulty in modifying the field.
The rest of the changes for 2024 relate to the pace of the game as the league tries to trim time on the margins. MLB said the average nine-inning game increased by seven minutes from April to September last year, the first season with a pitch clock.