There are new non-wood bat regulations for some of the largest amateur baseball organizations for 2011 and beyond.
At some levels of amateur baseball, like in NCAA college leagues, the changes and new standards are dramatic and will have a sweeping effect on the games.
At some other levels, such as Little League baseball, the changes are not as significant.
"The new rules are meant to increase safety and to develop standards for bats so that they can't be rolled, or altered, to increase power and ball speed," noted Mike Manning of All Star Baseball Academy. "The goal is to make metal bats perform more like wood bats, which will reduce the ball's exit speed off the bat. Overall, this will decrease the number of home runs in the college games and reduce scoring too. It will change the game, no question about it."
See the summary below, and if you have questions, speak with your team's head coach about which bats are legal for the upcoming season. You should understand the changes for your age group.
See the summary below, and if you have questions, speak with your team's head coach about which bats are legal for the upcoming season. You should understand the changes for your age group.
The Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard will go into effect on January 1, 2011. This new standard was first announced in 2008. For a bat to be legal in NCAA play in 2011, it must be BBCOR approved. No BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) bats will be allowed.
If you are a college player, or about to play in college next fall, make sure your bat is BBCOR approved.
With the increased use of composite bats in the past few years, people found that the more they were used, the better the bats performed. This led to tampering with the bats to accelerate the break-in period and increase the overall performance of the bats. Players were "rolling" (driving over) their bats in their driveways and also tampering with them in other ways to break them in faster than normal use would. Testing showed that the BESR bats would often perform at higher levels than the standard-tested parameters.
Colleges playing "Fall Ball" are now using bats that meet the new BBCOR standards, as they get ready for their spring 2011 seasons.
Babe Ruth Baseball:
All divisions allow the use of metal or wood bats. Wood bats must be one piece of solid wood. The weight to length differential remains at -3. Overall, no changes for Babe Ruth baseball. Check with your coach within your league to double-check any limitations or new standards locally.
Little League Baseball:
In the Majors division and below, bats shall be no more than 33 inches in length, and no more than 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Non-wood bats shall be printed with a bat performance factor of 1.15 or less.
All non-wood bats shall meet the BESR performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a permanent certification mark.
Important Note-- Little League Baseball imposed a moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions on August 27, 2010 and this remains in effect until further notice by Little League International.
High School Baseball:
The National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) will allow bats that meet the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) standard for the 2011 season, provided the bats also meet the Accelerated Break-In (ABI) standard too. For the 2012 season and beyond, the NFHS will allow only bats that meet the NEW BBCOR standards.
Summary: The 2011 spring season is a "transition year" in terms of the new bat rules for high school players. The new BBCOR rules go into full effect in 2012. Again, check with your high school coach to make sure that your bat is legal for your league this year.
Before you buy a new bat, make sure you speak with the salesman about your league and age group team-- you will need to make certain that you are buying a bat that meets the standards for your level of baseball.
Colleges playing "Fall Ball" are now using bats that meet the new BBCOR standards, as they get ready for their spring 2011 seasons.
Babe Ruth Baseball:
All divisions allow the use of metal or wood bats. Wood bats must be one piece of solid wood. The weight to length differential remains at -3. Overall, no changes for Babe Ruth baseball. Check with your coach within your league to double-check any limitations or new standards locally.
Little League Baseball:
In the Majors division and below, bats shall be no more than 33 inches in length, and no more than 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Non-wood bats shall be printed with a bat performance factor of 1.15 or less.
All non-wood bats shall meet the BESR performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a permanent certification mark.
Important Note-- Little League Baseball imposed a moratorium on the use of composite bats in the Junior, Senior and Big League divisions on August 27, 2010 and this remains in effect until further notice by Little League International.
High School Baseball:
The National Federation of High School Athletic Associations (NFHS) will allow bats that meet the Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR) standard for the 2011 season, provided the bats also meet the Accelerated Break-In (ABI) standard too. For the 2012 season and beyond, the NFHS will allow only bats that meet the NEW BBCOR standards.
Summary: The 2011 spring season is a "transition year" in terms of the new bat rules for high school players. The new BBCOR rules go into full effect in 2012. Again, check with your high school coach to make sure that your bat is legal for your league this year.
Before you buy a new bat, make sure you speak with the salesman about your league and age group team-- you will need to make certain that you are buying a bat that meets the standards for your level of baseball.
