Bat rules in your modified leagues

[brianV]

Hi all,

I run a modified league in Ingleside, ON and we are gearing up for this season.

Since the league's inception until 2016, the bat rules were simple:

• All bats must have either NSA or ASA approved stamp to be legal.
• Every bat must be identifiable as a legal bat.
• No Ultra II bats allowed.

These rules had problems, because we were getting all sorts of bats, including ones on the ASA and NSA banned lists. Last season, I attempted to bring the bat rules in line with Softball Canada specs:

1. All bats must carry at least one of the acceptable certification stamps: ISF 2005, ASA 2000, ASA 2004 or ASA 2013
2. Any bat that appears on the WBSC approved bat list and has a current ISF certification stamp (2005 only) will be accepted for play or,
3. Any bat that appears on the USA Softball Approved Bat List and has an ASA 2000, ASA 2004 or ASA 2013 certification stamp will also be accepted for play.
   
4. Notwithstanding #2 and #3 above, any bat appearing on the USA Softball Non-Approved Bat List shall not be accepted for play.
   
5. All bats must be visually identifiable as approved bats. Umpire’s ruling on a bat is final.

However, this led to problems: first, the umpires didn't really enforce the new bat rules unless the opposing team complained. Secondly, teams complained that they couldn't find ASA bats.

I want to find some sort of middle ground this season, and I want to know what others are doing. I posted this in the Canada forum as equipment availability is different here than in the USA.

Just for reference, we use Gray Dots (.40/375lb), and that's not likely to change.

What do you guys do in your leagues?

 

[kvander]

For starters, if you used Grey Dots, you absolutely should not allow ASA2013 bats. They are made for 52s.

The issue you run into with the SC rules is that there are limited options for ISF 2005 and ASA2013 stamped bats, since it's all USSSA up here, and they obviously don't make ASA2004 anymore.

For this reason, my league brought in USSSA stamped bats, and allows ISF2005, ASA2000, ASA2004, or USSSA. Anything on the ASA Banned list is not allowed.

If you already allow ASA2013 bats, then people shouldn't complain about the performance of USSSA bats. However, there will no longer be an issue of finding bats. Also, since all those ASA2013 bats will probably be broken by the end of May in Ontario weather hitting grey dots, the transition shouldn't take too long.

As for umpires not enforcing ... just tell them to enforce it. You pay them right? Just tell your catcher to check the bat, and have them ask the umpire to check if it's not legal.

 

[brianV]

Thanks @kvander. There's some strong opposition in our league to using the 52s, and given that our field is 315' at the corners / 350' in center, flight distance is desireable.

How do the USSSA / Utrip bats handle the Gray Dots?

 

[kvander]

Thanks @kvander.
How do the USSSA / Utrip bats handle the Gray Dots?

I believe USSSA bats are made for 40/325 balls, and gray dots (assuming you use the optic yellow ones) are 40/375. The bats work just fine. We saw an upswing in home runs when we switched from ASA2004 bats.

 

[tonys1]

We use the same balls in our league here and our bats must have the ASA stamp and not on the banned bat list. Some people will sneak utrip bats, and when they get called out, they refer to a printout of the ASA banned bat list. Of course it's not there, so everyone whines that time is being wasted. You're the LD, do you expect your umps to be able to identify the bats? I can tell you it would help in our league, at least to be aware so that time is being wasted in telling an ump "of course it's not on the banned ASA list, because it's not an ASA bat!". It's less about the cheating aspect of it than it is about getting someone killed at that point.

What about printing a sticker that you stick on the barrel of every bat at the beginning of the season, stamping that it's approved for play in your league?

 

[kvander]

What about printing a sticker that you stick on the barrel of every bat at the beginning of the season, stamping that it's approved for play in your league?

Just print the umpire a small piece of paper with the stamps required.

Thanks @kvander. There's some strong opposition in our league to using the 52s, and given that our field is 315' at the corners / 350' in center, flight distance is desireable.

Out of curiosity, are there a lot of home runs with those dimension? I doubt the 52s will make much difference anyway.
Do you play 10-man or 9-man?
What's the pitching quality like?

 

[tonys1]

Just print the umpire a small piece of paper with the stamps required.

Wouldn't it be so much quicker to just have a sticker on the bat that it's approved for league play? Probably not so easy adding a bat during the season, but .40/375 ball is no joke.

 

[ShortYellowBus]

I say let nature take it’s course!

Those gray dots will definitely make the bat performance increase, but the bat breakage will be epic. They’ll adjust.

315’ and 350’ in dead center is admirable/formidable (at sea level); with a reasonable fence, if they can clear it, let them have it. They earned it.

This is softball. People will complain no matter what you do. Why do anything? Leave it as is.

Again, this is softball: Guys in their forties throwing the ball underhand.

 

[kvander]

Wouldn't it be so much quicker to just have a sticker on the bat that it's approved for league play? Probably not so easy adding a bat during the season, but .40/375 ball is no joke.

I'll take 5 mins of education, and maybe add in some prohibitive penalties, versus buying stickers and facilitating the inspection of 100 bats

 

[brianV]

Just print the umpire a small piece of paper with the stamps required.

Out of curiosity, are there a lot of home runs with those dimension? I doubt the 52s will make much difference anyway.
Do you play 10-man or 9-man?
What's the pitching quality like?

We play somewhat of a hybrid, but closer to 10 man. 10 people in the field (4 outfielders) and no slingshot. We allow stealing, but only after the ball crosses the plate. 65' spacing between the bases.

I'm not really sure how to judge the pitching quality as we are the only modified league in the area. However, the pitching is well matched to the hitting. We have some pitchers who can blister it in, some who can pick their spots and use speed variations to screw the batters up. A few that throw meatballs and count on their defense (since the size of our field limits homers).

I will say that a few of our teams compete every year in the Stormont County Fair tournament which draws a half dozen 'outside teams', and typically stay competitive.

Wouldn't it be so much quicker to just have a sticker on the bat that it's approved for league play? Probably not so easy adding a bat during the season, but .40/375 ball is no joke.

Not a terrible idea.

I say let nature take it’s course!

Those gray dots will definitely make the bat performance increase, but the bat breakage will be epic. They’ll adjust.

315’ and 350’ in dead center is admirable/formidable (at sea level); with a reasonable fence, if they can clear it, let them have it. They earned it.

This is softball. People will complain no matter what you do. Why do anything? Leave it as is.

Again, this is softball: Guys in their forties throwing the ball underhand.

I'm not worried about the home runs... I'm more worried about the infielders and pitchers. We've had a few pitchers take a ball off the chest. It's just a matter of time until one comes in 18" higher.

 

[ShortYellowBus]

Pitcher screens are becoming popular among various leagues along the states. It’s not ideal, due to the fact that it’s ***bersome and a liability to set up and/or making storage arrangements for it.

If safety is your priority, perhaps pitching screens is the way to go.

 

[brianV]

Pitcher screens are becoming popular among various leagues along the states. It’s not ideal, due to the fact that it’s ***bersome and a liability to set up and/or making storage arrangements for it.

If safety is your priority, perhaps pitching screens is the way to go.

I don't think pitching screens would work. Most pitchers move significantly towards the plate. We'd have to put the screen maybe 10' in front of the rubber... It would really screw with the throw to second as well.

 

[kvander]

You can't have a screen in modified.

I'm not worried about the home runs... I'm more worried about the infielders and pitchers. We've had a few pitchers take a ball off the chest. It's just a matter of time until one comes in 18" higher.

If home runs are not a concern, why is there resistance to 52/300s? Maybe play a few games this year using them and see what people think.

 

[brianV]

You can't have a screen in modified.

If home runs are not a concern, why is there resistance to 52/300s? Maybe play a few games this year using them and see what people think.

A few of the teams have used them in other leagues, and just don't like them. I think they feel they don't fly as well.