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The mound-visit rule will not apply to teammates and will not come with a penalty but instead a subtle jab from umpires. Its intent is to discourage lollygagging among managers and coaches who often use plodding walks to give relief pitchers extra time to warm up. After the institution of significant pace-of-play rules last season that helped shave the average game time to 2 hours, 56 minutes, the measures MLB will announce Thursday – including cutting the between-innings clock from 2:25 to 2:05, theoretically saving six minutes – are less drastic.
The slide rule operates in a similarly logical fashion, according to sources who briefed Yahoo Sports on it. It starts by describing what a runner can do, outlining four main tenets of a legal slide into second base:
• Slide prior to reaching the base.
• Slide so you are able to and attempt to reach or touch the base.
• Slide so you are able to and attempt to stay on the base.
• Do not change your pathway to the base.