Just in from ASA regarding bats and balls

This is what was sent out today regarding bats. Hopefully some questions will be answered.

ASA Softball Equipment Advisory

Our committee, the ASA’s Equipment Testing & Certification Committee, is recommending to the ASA Board of Directors that no sunset clause or other provision that could eliminate the use of all previously approved composite bats be adopted in 2009 or over the course of the next few years. A portion of our committee’s decision making process was based on the 90+ percent satisfaction that was recorded on the last long range planning committee survey on your overall satisfaction with the current state of the game in terms of equipment performance. To reiterate our position, no immediate “expiration date” of current composite bats is presently planned to be recommended by our committee. Bat manufacturers will still be allowed to design composite bats for use in ASA sanctioned competitions.

This subject has been at the core of many rumors that have surfaced since the ASA required that all ASA certified bats be subjected to an accelerated break-in (ABI) process prior to initial certification. This new test requirement imposed by ASA should minimize the potential banning of bats produced by bat manufacturers because these bats will be tested at their peak performance upon initial certification rather than rely solely on random compliance testing. To be clear, bats currently in the marketplace will continue to be subject to random auditing by ASA to ensure the standards adopted by ASA are followed and that bats are not made differently than when they were initially certified. As all of you know, the ASA operates in a very democratic process so all of this is subject to the possibility of a rule change that could be proposed by one of our 260+ voting members during the ASA National Council Meeting held annually in November. The adoption of any rule requires 60% approval by the ASA voting council.

As manufacturers continue to make bats that exceed our standards, we expect the cottage industry of bat doctoring to continue. To that end, the ASA has recently filed a lawsuit against five individuals across the United States aimed at curbing this practice. As many of you know, we were successful in our last round of lawsuits resulting in a $100,000 judgment and we expect similar results this time around.

In other equipment news, during the ASA’s Equipment Testing and Certification Committee’s most recent meeting (April 24-27), the committee took action involving the establishment of a standard regulating the dynamic stiffness of softballs at 7,500 lbs/inch when tested under the most current proposed ASTM test method. This standard will better control the use of multi “C.O.R.” softballs and should bring more consistency to the softball marketplace without lowering the current static compression of 375 lbs/inch. Please note, static compression and dynamic stiffness are completely different measurements so these numbers should not be compared. We don’t expect the above change in ball specs to disrupt the marketplace whatsoever but it could lead to the development of a non approved ball list if manufactures continue to elect to develop softballs that don’t meet the specifications of this new ASA testing parameter. Also, we are not going to require the manufacturers to change the current ASA markings on softballs to avoid other confusion in the field.

Several manufacturers have developed alternative softballs using different C.O.R./static compression and dynamic stiffness measurements in an effort to provide alternative products used at various divisions and classifications of ASA play. As these products undergo further scrutiny in the lab and in ASA field testing, we will continue our efforts in finding the ideal ball bat combination to preserve the integrity of the game.
The committee also conducted a field test during its most recent gathering which, among other things, compared bats that have been altered using a common accelerated break-in technique called bat rolling. The first bat that was rolled was a popular bat currently in the marketplace and the second bat was a bat that will be produced and sold starting July 1. The batted ball speeds for the new bat that is going to be manufactured beginning July 1 was clearly lower than the current bats on the market further validating the ASA’s new testing requirement that all bats must be fully broken-in prior to gaining initial certification.
bat barrel compression testers that have been developed by Easton Sports in partnership with the Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association (SGMA), should be available to all local associations that purchased them by mid-June according to the latest reports from Easton.
These testers will be shipped to each location as soon as they arrive in Oklahoma City and will be accompanied with instructions for their use at the local league level. We encourage each local association to, at a minimum, follow the language contained in the ASA Code, Article 510 M 06 if a bat is found to be altered and used during the course of an ASA sanctioned game.

 

Yep !!!

Sounds like the same people that wrote this started I-485 Completion---

 

What it means is...

1. 2007 and 2008 bats currently on the market will be grandfathered and with no immediate expiration date..... Word I had heard prior to this was 2012...

2. New bats can be added to the banned list as testing continues, if they exceed the 98 mph exit speeds after break-in.

3. It also confirms that the new 2008 - 2009 season bats will have a slower exit speed out of the wrapper, as was predicted..... They will achieve a 98 mph exit speed after break-in.

Currently we are rating bats under the same system for 10U rec ball and
NCAA Div 1 programs... Does that make sense?

 

Just some extra info.

http://www.sdasasoftball.com/make_page.php?page=archives&category=mens_slo-pitch
New Portable Bat Testing Machines

Attached are the latest photos of a portable bat testing machine that can be used to identify shaved, rolled or ‘juiced’ bats by measuring the barrel compression of each bat. This machine operates under the same principles of our current machine that many of you have seen at various ASA tournaments or at the council meeting but is much more affordable and transportable (it weighs 12lbs).
There are, however, a few drawbacks with this machine as compared to the other bat machine including a set compression target of 250lbs that will be used as a pass/fail or red light/green light notification. This 250lb number cannot be changed once it is calibrated. This could lead to the removal of bats that haven’t been altered but are simply older composite bats and very broken-in or possibly broken on the inside of the bat but not on the outside of the bat.
These bat barrel testing machines will not identify bats that have been endloaded with additional weight but based on our recent testing, this is one of the least productive forms of increasing the performance of bats as compared to shaving, rolling and other accelerated break-in techniques.

Easton Sports is the manufacturer of these machines and they are making them available for approximately $500.00 each. This price could go up or down by 20% or so based on your interest in purchasing something like this for your state/metro association or even local leagues.

Will you please contact your leagues or tournament directors so we can determine how many of these machines we need to order and send me an e-mail with your desired quantity? For the time being, we will only accept orders through a local association and not directly from leagues or tournament directors. We are prepared to order several hundred units if the demand requires it. These machines should be available by this summer.
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.



Kelly McKeown

ASA/USA Softball

2801 NE 50th Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73111

Phone: 405-425-3422

Fax: 405-424-3855

E-Mail: [email protected]
http://www.sdasasoftball.com/make_page.php?page=archives&category=womens_slo-pitch
As of this writing, we have the following orders for the Easton manufactured bat compression testing machines that [/font]
can be used to identify altered bats:
Arizona ASA-1
Hawaii ASA-2
Mississippi ASA-1
New Jersey ASA-1
North Carolina ASA-1
North Dakota ASA-2
Nevada ASA-2
Portland ASA-2
Sacramento ASA-2
Softball Canada-3
Southern California ASA-2
South Dakota ASA-2

Use the top link to see pictures.

 

I guess that also gives the final indictment on the use of bat rolling machines that was discussed earlier this year...


Bat Rolling

 

Rolling is a problem

Bat shaving is even more deadly. I played a men's tournament recently and I can tell you there is more of that going on than anyone will even realize. 160 lb guys hitting 44 core balls 370 ft. I have played enough to know better. The best of the best with 50 core balls were not hitting them that far not long ago.

I am looking forward to these new rules. It will separate the real hitters from the pretenders.

I like what a bunch of them say. "I have one just for home run derbies".