SBMSA

In the interest of helping protect defensive players, and to maintain consistency with other levels of youth baseball, as well as high school and college, SBMSA Jr Baseball is adapting new bat restrictions.

Beginning with our spring 2012 season, certain high-performance bats will not be permitted in the Midget, Pee Wee and Bronco leagues. Coaches and parents should make sure that no player steps into the batter's box with an illegal, high-performance bat. If a player steps into the batter's box with an illegal bat and is discovered doing so while at bat, he will be declared out. If a batter reaches base after having used an illegal bat in that at-bat, he will be declared out if, before the first pitch to the next batter, it is discovered that such bat was illegal. After the first pitch has been made to the next batter, the previous batter cannot be declared out for using an illegal bat.

Legal Bats. Bat Performance Factor (BPF) measures the liveliness of a ball hitting a bat compared to throwing a ball against a solid wall (e.g., 15% faster rebound = BPF of 1.15). Bats with a BPF rating of 1.15 or less are approved for use in many youth baseball leagues across the nation, including in SBMSA's Midget, Pee Wee and Bronco leagues. Bat manufacturers are now certifying bats that meet this performance standard. All new bats that meet this standard have a stamp that reads '1.15 BPF' on the barrel-to-handle transition area. Previous model year bats that meet this standard may have a '1.15 BPF' stamp anywhere on the bat.

• Any bat, new or old, with a '1.15 BPF' stamp affixed by the manufacturer on the bat is legal in the Midget, Pee Wee and Bronco leagues.

Certain bats that are not '1.15 BPF' certified are also legal in the Midget, Pee Wee and Bronco leagues, as follows:

• A bat that is -10 or heavier is legal for 2 1/4', 2 5/8' and 2 3/4' barrel sizes, regardless of composition. The figure -10 refers to the 'bat drop,' which is a bat's weight (in ounces) minus its length (in inches). Thus a full composite, 20-ounce, 30-inch long bat is legal because it has a bat drop of -10. Also, by way of example, a 21-ounce, 30-inch (-9 drop) bat that has a two-piece design (composite shaft with alloy barrel) is legal because it is heavier than -10.
• All full alloy bats that are lighter than -10 are legal, regardless of barrel size. As an example, an 18-ounce, 30-inch long (-12 drop) bat would be legal only if it is made fully of a metal alloy material.

Illegal Bats. All other bats are illegal in the Midget, Pee Wee and Bronco leagues. As an example, an Easton Stealth composite 'coach pitch,' 14-ounce, 26-inch (-12 drop) bat would be illegal because it is lighter than -10 and is not a full alloy bat.