Was wondering if any of you knowledgeable folk could help me out. My son is starting high school baseball next spring( J.v. if he makes the team). What are the specific bat restrictions going to be for the state of Maryland in 2011?
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#22 dad - The restrictions for 2011 are the same for 2010 - the bat must be -3 length/wt. ratio and have the BESR mark. The changes for HS bats takes place in 2012. Here is what the NFHS says about bats for the 2012 season.
Modified the bat rule effective January 1, 2012
As it now reads: The bat, which may be a wood or non-wood product, shall be a smooth cyljnder implement from the top of the cap to the top of the knob. The cap of the bat and knob of the bat shall be permanently and securely fastened. All non-wood bats shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silk screen or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark has to be rectangular, a minimum of a half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color. There shall be no devices, attachments or wrappings that cause the handle to become flush with the knob. Molded grips are illegal.
Modified the bat rule effective January 1, 2012
As it now reads: The bat, which may be a wood or non-wood product, shall be a smooth cyljnder implement from the top of the cap to the top of the knob. The cap of the bat and knob of the bat shall be permanently and securely fastened. All non-wood bats shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silk screen or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark has to be rectangular, a minimum of a half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color. There shall be no devices, attachments or wrappings that cause the handle to become flush with the knob. Molded grips are illegal.
No composite ban ?
The rule seems to be no composite barrels unless granted a waiver for 2011. Will the waiver bats be marked as legal? How will umps know? Getting very confusing.
The way i read it therer are no composite barrels allowed except a few Demarini's that were given waivers on new "Accelearated break in"(ABI) criteria.. So that would knock out BESR alone as being across the board. Resellers are having fire sales on Easton BESR's with composite barrels.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elliot Hopkins
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 7, 2010) — One of six new rules changes by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee forbids the use of composite bats until they can meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard. The changes, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors, will take effect with the 2010-11 school year.
After thorough testing by the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts–Lowell, the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee voted to outlaw composite bats until they can produce consistent results through the life of the bat, be made tamper-evident and be labeled as a composite product.
Elliot Hopkins, NFHS liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, visited with James Sherwood, director of the Baseball Research Center, and spent several hours witnessing composite bat testing. “Rolling the bat gives it a higher performance,” Hopkins said. “It can significantly increase the performance and that’s huge in our game.”
Rolling the bat isn’t the only problem. Rolling only speeds up the performance enhancement that would occur over time after normal use. Even composite bats that were not altered will eventually see this increase in performance, and the rules committee views that as a major concern.
Rule 1-3-2 through 5 was completely rewritten with the intention of creating a rule that preserves the intent and spirit of the old rule, but is better suited to products resulting from new technology.
Under the new rule, bats with composite handles and tapers would still be legal. The stricter language applies primarily to the barrel of the bat.
“While the handles and taper are important components of the bat,” Hopkins said, “the area that we recognized as more susceptible to abuse is the barrel.”
Other rules changes this year aim at increasing convenience for coaches and umpires by simplifying the substitution policy and clarifying several rules.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 7, 2010) — One of six new rules changes by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee forbids the use of composite bats until they can meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard. The changes, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors, will take effect with the 2010-11 school year.
After thorough testing by the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts–Lowell, the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee voted to outlaw composite bats until they can produce consistent results through the life of the bat, be made tamper-evident and be labeled as a composite product.
Elliot Hopkins, NFHS liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, visited with James Sherwood, director of the Baseball Research Center, and spent several hours witnessing composite bat testing. “Rolling the bat gives it a higher performance,” Hopkins said. “It can significantly increase the performance and that’s huge in our game.”
Rolling the bat isn’t the only problem. Rolling only speeds up the performance enhancement that would occur over time after normal use. Even composite bats that were not altered will eventually see this increase in performance, and the rules committee views that as a major concern.
Rule 1-3-2 through 5 was completely rewritten with the intention of creating a rule that preserves the intent and spirit of the old rule, but is better suited to products resulting from new technology.
Under the new rule, bats with composite handles and tapers would still be legal. The stricter language applies primarily to the barrel of the bat.
“While the handles and taper are important components of the bat,” Hopkins said, “the area that we recognized as more susceptible to abuse is the barrel.”
Other rules changes this year aim at increasing convenience for coaches and umpires by simplifying the substitution policy and clarifying several rules.
Also fron the NFHS site:
Effective beginning the 2010-11 school year, composite bats shall be illegal until meeting the standards of 1-3-2(e). ART. 2 . . . The bat shall have the following characteristics and components..
All of this along with Demarini announcing they have the only composite barreled bats legal in the spring of 2011 tells me composite is out unless given the individual waiver. BBCOR is 2012 for high school
Effective beginning the 2010-11 school year, composite bats shall be illegal until meeting the standards of 1-3-2(e). ART. 2 . . . The bat shall have the following characteristics and components..
All of this along with Demarini announcing they have the only composite barreled bats legal in the spring of 2011 tells me composite is out unless given the individual waiver. BBCOR is 2012 for high school
So I gave up and dug deeper. These are the currently approved composite barrel bats for this spring.
http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=4155
http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=4155