NFHS Decertification of 33-inch Reebok Vector TLS bat

How does a "certified" bat become "uncertified"?

Did the bat company change the formula? Did NCAA do more testing? Did a QA guy decide he didn't like testing?

My son is a senior in HS and a LHP w/ a D1 scholarship but also bats cleanup for his HS team. He will never take another swing in a game above men's softball after April 25, unless we make the playoffs, then it's day to day.

If he comes home with a "dad they decertified my bat, go buy me another one", I'm liable to tell him he shouldn't hit any more.

As you can see from the word we got from NCAA on March 22nd, they offer no reasons:


TO: Head Baseball Coaches, Conference Commissioners, Compliance Officers
and Coordinators of Umpires.
FROM: Jeff Hurd, chair
Baseball Rules Committee.
SUBJECT: Decertification of 33-inch Reebok Vector-TLS bats.
This memo serves as the NCAA’s official notice that the decertification process has been triggered for the Reebok Vector-TLS 33-inch length bat. Effective immediately and until further notice, these bats will not be allowed for use in any NCAA baseball competition.

For ease of reference, a photo of the bat is below:


Team representatives are asked to check your team’s stock of bats and withhold these bats if your team is in possession of any. Conference administrators are asked to share this information with your umpires as well. If this bat is attempted to be used during competition, it should be considered an illegal bat and subject to NCAA Baseball Rule 1-12-b, (see the penalty section for procedures).

For any questions on this decision, please contact Ty Halpin (Playing Rules, thalpin@ncaa.org) or Cameron Schuh (Public and Media Relations, cschuh@ncaa.org) at the NCAA.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The NCAA retesting-decertification process maintains the integrity of the BBCOR baseball bat standard. Regrettably for the consumer that also eliminates the integrity of the BBCOR stamp on any given BBCOR stamped baseball bat.

quote:

Originally posted by Crusader Dad:
The NCAA retesting-decertification process maintains the integrity of the BBCOR baseball bat standard. Regrettably for the consumer that also eliminates the integrity of the BBCOR stamp on any given BBCOR stamped baseball bat.

Not a permanent problem. Both NCAA and the testing folks are looking into how these bats were certified in the first place.