2009 Bat rules (click for word doc)
Central PA Modified Fastpitch softball League
Rules of Safety for Legal Bat List
Last updated: 3/27/09
1) Softball bats must be made of wood or aluminum alloy
2) Aluminum bats can only have one layer (single wall) of metal on the barrel (Hitting surface)
3) No bat can be Multi-walled, Multi-layered (inner linings), Multi –chambered, or have an Exterior shell
4) Outer surface of non wood bats must be aluminum alloy (No Fiber wrapped bats or non-metal coated bats)
5) Bats cannot contain Titanium on the barrel of the bat
6) Bats cannot contain Steel on the barrel of the bat
7) Bats cannot contain Ceramic materials on the barrel of the bat
8) No 100% composite bats
9) Bats must be designed for softball (no baseball or little league bats) and cannot be tampered with or altered, including manufacturer’s labeling
10) Bats cannot exceed the 1.20 BPF
11) Bats must pass the ASA 2004 Bat standard using the ASTM F2219 high speed test standard (with exception of some of the Grandfathered ASA bats)
12) Softballs must have a max compression of 375-lbs with COR of .44
***Player safety: Bat companies that promote bats in both a Singlewall and Doublewall design and that have the same name for both, both will be considered illegal to promote safety for the players in the league.***
*** Softball safety: When you pick up a softball you will usually find two numbers printed on the ball as ratio, something like 375/.44. These two numbers represent the compression and Coefficient-of-Restitution (COR), respectively. The compression is simply the amount of force in pounds that is required to compress the ball a quarter of an inch, and it represents the "hardness" of the ball. Compression is measured by performing a static compression test on the ball. A compression value of 375 means that if 375-lbs of force were applied to the ball it would compress by 0.25-inches. If you held a 375/.44 softball in your hand tried to squeeze it as hard as you can, and then try the same thing with a 575/.44 ball, the 575 ball would feel harder because 200 more pounds of force are required to compress the ball the same amount. The second number stands for the coefficient-of-restitution, or COR, and represents the elasticity or springiness of the ball. The COR is measured by firing a ball from an air cannon at 60-mph (or 90-mph) towards a rigid surface and measuring the ratio of rebound speed to initial speed. You could compare two balls by dropping them from the same height onto a flat cement floor. If you compared a 375/.47 ball with a 375/.40 ball you would find that the .47 COR ball would bounce slightly higher.
Recently, several bat manufacturers and some scientists have suggested that a better (and safer) way to control the game would be to regulate the balls used in a game (ie, choosing a deader or softer ball) instead of banning bats as is the current practice. (Russell, 2005)
Standards:
98 mph Standard
This is the new ASA 2004 Bat Standard. The bat must have a ball exit speed rating of less than 98mph in both slow-pitch and Fastpitch. On bats that test below 98mph rating you will find the new ASA 2004 certifications logo. All bats with ASA 2004 logo must also meet the BPF 1.20 standard. Also these are the only bats currently allowed to be used in ASA Championship play.
100 mph Standard
This standard incorporates many bats that have been available to you in the past. These bats would have the ASA 2000 certification logo on it. Bat manufactured must cease production of these models by June 30, 2004 (For ASA championship play). However, players may continue to these models indefinitely after June 30, 2004 in accordance with ASA’s license agreement (“Grandfathered bats” which appear on the ASA legal bat list)
100+ mph Standard
Bats in this category will not be legal is ASA play but will be legal in USSSA, NSA, ISF and other associations using BPF 1.20 as the performance standards
