HOOVER, Ala - The 2026 SEC Baseball Tournament will feature Automated Ball-Strike challenges for the first time.

The experimental system was approved on Monday by the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee, according to a report from Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.

SCOOP: The @NCAA Baseball Rules Committee has approved the @SEC's proposal to use experimental ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) Challenges in the upcoming conference tournament, I'm told. Coaches will have (3) specific ABS challenges per game in Hoover. pic.twitter.com/S8NQXXCVJy

— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 4, 2026

Each team will receive three ABS challenges per game, with successful challenges retained.

Only the pitcher, catcher and hitter can request a challenge, and they will have roughly two to three seconds to do so after the umpire makes a ball or strike call.

If a game goes to extra innings, teams without any remaining challenges will be awarded one additional challenge.

Major League Baseball recently implemented a similar ABS system this season, and now college baseball will test the concept at the SEC Tournament, scheduled for May 19–24.