Make Sure Your Bat has "BPF 1.15 or less" Markings
March 26, 2009
NOTICE TO PARENTS, PLAYERS AND LEAGUES: IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW COMPOSITE METAL BAT FOR USE IN LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL (Major Division and below), BE SURE THAT THE BAT YOU ARE PURCHASING HAS THIS MARKING: BPF 1.15 ON THE BARREL OR HANDLE OF THE BAT. IF NOT, IT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED FOR PLAY IN LITTLE LEAGUE GAMES.
Little League officials are aware that there are bats for sale in stores, online or that may have already been purchased that are Little League approved, but do not have the required bat performance standard (BPF) markings. In fact, some of the bats on the Little League approved bat list may not carry the required BPF 1.15 marking on the bat, depending on when they were manufactured and licensed. Currently manufacturers are conducting an inventory and re-testing of all approved bats. The results of this study / retesting is to be finished by March 31, 2009. We are building a list of certain bats that are approved, but do not have the BPF marking due to special circumstances. For these bats, we are extending eligibility for play until December 31, 2009. As we are made aware of bats that meet our criteria for this extension, we will add them to the list. Please check this list regularly for updates. HOWEVER, ONLY BATS WITH THE BPF 1.15 MARKING AND THE BATS ON THIS LIST WILL BE ALLOWED FOR PLAY IN 2009.
Bats with the special exception include the following:
Adidas Vanquish Blue design (There is a newer model of this bat, also named the Vanquish and it has copper and black markings. It contains the proper labeling and therefore is not subject to the one-year rule).
Little League International
P.O. Box 3485
539 US Route 15 Hwy
Williamsport, PA 17701-0485
Phone: 570-326-1921
Fax: 570-326-1074
Update from Little League RE:Bat Specs
March 18, 2009
It has been brought to the attention of Little League officials that there are a few bats for sale in stores or that may have already been purchased that carry the Little League approval, but do not have the required bat performance standard markings. The Little League Rulebook states that beginning January 1, 2009, all non-wood bats used for play in Little League Baseball (majors and below) shall be printed with a bat performance factor (BPF) of 1.15 or less. While the bats we have identified pass the BPF standard and other standards of proportion and measurement, they do not have the proper label. These bats are in the marketplace for a variety of circumstances. After review by Little League officials, it has been determined that these bats may remain in the marketplace and shall be allowed for play during the 2009 season only, with the understanding that these bats shall not be allowed for play after December 31, 2009, even though some improperly labeled bats may still remain in the marketplace, or retained by leagues and players after the 2010 deadline. Also, check the model you are purchasing. If these bats, like the Vanquish, are replaced with corrected labeling, and have the BPF 1.15 label, they will be allowed after 2009.
Specifically, the bats in question are as follow:
Adidas Vanquish Blue design (There is a newer model of this bat, also named the Vanquish and it has copper and black markings. It contains the proper labeling and therefore is not subject to the one-year rule).
DeMarini Black Coyote
Rogue
Distance
Rumble
Tengu
Easton LZ-810
Louisville Slugger YB31
Sincerely,
Little League International
P.O. Box 3485
539 US Route 15 Hwy
Williamsport, PA 17701-0485
Phone: 570-326-1921
Fax: 570-326-1074
One Size Fits All***
Baseball Age Groups
Below is a list of all our age groups offered in Baseball this year:
Tee Ball - 3&4 years old Coed Tee Ball
Tee Ball - 5&6 years old Tee Ball
Minors (Coach Pitch) - 7-9 years old Modified Coach Pitch
Minors (Kid Pitch) - 9-11 years old
Majors (Kid Pitch) - 10-12 years old
Junior(Kid Pitch) - 13-14 years old
Senior(Kid Pitch) - 15-16 years old
Big(Kid Pitch) - 16-18 years old
Age Chart:
Little League Age Chart for 2009 – Baseball Only
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2005 and April 30, 2006 is league age 3.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2004 and April 30, 2005 is league age 4.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2003 and April 30, 2004 is league age 5.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2002 and April 30, 2003 is league age 6.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2001, and April 30, 2002, is league age 7.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 2000, and April 30, 2001, is league age 8.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1999, and April 30, 2000, is league age 9.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1998, and April 30, 1999, is league age 10.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1997, and April 30, 1998, is league age 11.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1996, and April 30, 1997, is league age 12.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1995, and April 30, 1996, is league age 13.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1994, and April 30, 1995, is league age 14.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1993, and April 30, 1994, is league age 15.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1992, and April 30, 1993, is league age 16.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1991, and April 30, 1992, is league age 17.
A participant born on or between the dates of May 1, 1990, and April 30, 1991, is league age 18.
NOTE: This age chart is for baseball divisions only, and only for 2009.
2009 Rule Changes Baseball
CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL®
RULES AND REGULATIONS – 2009
(Last update: October 30, 2008)
Regulation IV (i) Note 3
What is changed: Text added for clarification.
NOTE 3: In Minor League, if a half-inning ends because of the imposition of the five-run limit in “Rule 2.00 - Inning,” and a player on the defense has played for the entire half-inning, that player will be considered to have participated for three consecutive outs for the purposes of this rule. However, if the player has not played on defense for the entire inning, that player will be credited only as having played for the number of outs that occurred while the player was used defensively.
Regulation VI - PITCHERS
What is changed: Increases the maximum number of pitches a pitcher could deliver, and then be permitted to become a catcher in that day; Provides a second option for required rest; Deleted (e.) and moved that text up so that it applies only to Option 1.
(a) Any player on a regular season team may pitch. (NOTE: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.)
(b) A pitcher once removed from the mound cannot return as a pitcher. Junior, Senior, and Big League Divisions only: A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once per game.
(c) The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:
League Age 17-18 105 pitches per day
13-16 95 pitches per day
11-12 85 pitches per day
9-10 75 pitches per day
7-8 50 pitches per day
Exception: Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed in Regulation VI (c) for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. Note 1: A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
((d) Pitchers league age 16 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41 - 60 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21 - 40 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
Pitchers league age 17-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 51 - 75 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 26 - 50 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.
(e) DELETED for 2009
(f) Each league must designate the scorekeeper or another game official as the official pitch count recorder.
(g) The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. However, the manager is responsible for knowing when his/her pitcher must be removed.
(h) The official pitch count recorder should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has delivered his/her maximum limit of pitches for the game, as noted in Regulation VI (c). The umpire-in-chief will inform the pitcher’s manager that the pitcher must be removed in accordance with Regulation VI (c). However, the failure by the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager, does not relieve the manager of his/her responsibility to remove a pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible.
(i) Violation of any section of this regulation can result in protest of the game in which it occurs. Protest shall be made in accordance with Playing Rule 4.19.
(j) A player who has attained the league age of twelve (12) is not eligible to pitch in the Minor League. (See Regulation V – Selection of Players)
(k) A player may not pitch in more than one game in a day. (Exception: In the Big League Division, a player may be used as a pitcher in up to two games in a day.)
NOTES:
1. The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher is announced, or after a warm-up pitch is delivered, but before that player has pitched a ball to a batter, shall not be considered a violation. Little League officials are urged to take precautions to prevent protests. When a protest situation is imminent, the potential offender should be notified immediately.
2. Pitches delivered in games declared “Regulation Tie Games” or “Suspended Games” shall be charged against pitcher’s eligibility.
3. In suspended games resumed on another day, the pitchers of record at the time the game was halted may continue to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day, provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest.
Example 1: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on the following Thursday. The pitcher is not eligible to pitch in the resumption of the game because he/she has not observed the required days of rest.
Example 2: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on Saturday. The pitcher is eligible to pitch up to 85 more pitches in the resumption of the game because he/she has observed the required days of rest.
Example 3: A league age 12 pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes two weeks later. The pitcher is eligible to pitch up to 85 more pitches in the resumption of the game, provided he/she is eligible based on his/her pitching record during the previous four days.
Note: The use of this regulation negates the concept of the “calendar week” with regard to pitching eligibility.
Rule 1.10
What is changed: Reduces the maximum diameter for a bat in the Junior League Baseball division from 2 3/4 inches to 2 5/8 inches. (Maximum diameter for bats in Senior League and Big League remains at 2 5/8 inches.)
1.10 - The bat must be a baseball bat which meets Little League specifications and standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards.
Little League (Majors) and below: it shall not be more than thirty-three (33) inches in length nor more than two and one-quarter (2¼) inches in diameter. Non-wood bats shall be printed with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.15 or less;
Junior League: it shall not be more than 34 inches in length; nor more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30”) at its smallest part.
Senior/Big League: it shall not be more than 36 inches in length, nor more than 2 5/8 inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30”) at its smallest part. The bat shall not weigh, numerically, more than three ounces less than the length of the bat (e.g., a 33-inch-Iong bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces). All non-wood bats shall meet the BESR performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a permanent certification mark.
In all divisions, wood bats may be taped or fitted with a sleeve for a distance not exceeding sixteen (16) inches (18 inches for Junior/Senior/Big League baseball) from the small end. A non-wood bat must have a grip of cork, tape or composition material, and must extend a minimum of 10 inches from the small end. Slippery tape or similar material is prohibited. An illegal bat must be removed.
NOTE 1: Junior/Senior/Big League: The 2¾ inch in diameter bat is not allowed in any division.
NOTE 2: The traditional batting donut is not permissible
NOTE 3: The bat may carry the mark “Little League Tee Ball.”
NOTE 4: Non-wood bats may develop dents from time to time. Bats that cannot pass through the approved Little League bat ring for the appropriate division must be removed from play. The 2¼ inch bat ring must be used for bats in the Tee Ball, Minor League and Little League Baseball divisions. The 2 5/8 inch bat ring must be used for bats in the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions of baseball.
Rule 1.11 (k) Note
What is changed: Clarified to include managers and coaches.
(k) Casts may not be worn during the game. NOTE: Persons wearing casts, including managers and coaches, must remain in the dugout during the game.
Rule 3.02 Penalty
What is changed: Clarified to make it clear that the pitcher could remain in the game after the infraction, but at a different position.
PENALTY: The umpire shall demand the ball and remove the offender from the pitching position. In case the umpire cannot locate the offender, and if the pitcher delivers such discolored or damaged ball to the batter, the pitcher shall be removed from the pitching position at once.
Rule 3.03 Note (1)
What is changed: Added for clarification.
NOTE 1: A substitute may not be removed from the game prior to completion of his/her mandatory play requirements.
Rule 7.10 (d)
What is changed: Added for clarification.
EXCEPTION: If an otherwise proper appeal is being made by a player who has to go into foul territory to retrieve the ball in order to make an appeal or if the appeal is being made by the catcher (who may never have been in fair territory at all), the appeal will be adjudged to have been properly executed.
