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 Changing the Rules Chronology of Changes to Major League Baseball Official Rules Table K: Rule Changes 1940-1949 |
| Table K: Rule Changes 1940-1949 | ||
| DATE | RULE CHANGE | Rule |
| 1940 | A batter is no longer credited with a sacrifice fly. | 10.09 |
| 1940 | The pitcher is permitted to take two steps-one forward, one backward-as long as his pivot foot remains in contact with the rubber at all times. | 8.01 |
| 1940 | It is a balk if a pitcher throws or fakes a throw to an unoccupied base. | 8.02 |
| 1940 | The umpire assumes authority over trainers. | 9.01E |
| 1945 | A player must have at least four hundred at-bats to qualify as the league leader in Batting Average or Slugging Average | 10.23 |
| 1947 | Six umpires are hired to work in the World Series, all of them on the field. | |
| 1949 | On December 21 the "new" rules are issued. There are no major changes, but many ambiguities are eliminated, and they are recodified into the ten sections we have today. | |
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