Slow Pitch Softball Bat Rules and Regulations

If you are looking to buy a slow pitch softball bat you need to know what is and what is not an "acceptable" bat. Sanctioning organizations are very strict on bat rules and regulations, understandably so, to maintain fairness in the sport of slow pitch softball. Those rules include the following:

Size and Weight. Slow pitch softball bats should be 34 inches long at most, have a 2 ¼-inch diameter at the thickest part and have a weight ranging from 26 to 30 oz.

Certifications. All slow pitch softball bats should have certification stamps from sanctioning organizations in order to be allowed for play in official tournaments. These stamps should be permanently marked, and not look like they were decaled. As of January 2013, new rules have been put in place by softball's three most important sanctioning bodes, ASA, USSSA and NSA. USSSA no longer honors ASA stamps (ASA-stamped bats are for ASA tournaments only, with old ASA stamps still being honored). ASA wood bat tournaments require ASA stamps too. USSSA tournaments no longer accepts bats without the new USSSA 1.20 BPF. NSA tournaments, however, will allow bats with old stamps for at least another year.

Damaged Bats. Externally heavily damaged bats, according to ASA and USSSA rules, will not allowed for play.

Bat Alteration/Doctoring. The official "philosophy" of slow pitch softball organizations are that players should know if their bats have been altered. Claiming that they are not aware will not excuse them from punishment. Organizations take violations on altered bat rules seriously, where penalties may include a fine of up to hundreds of thousands of dollars and/or a lifetime ban.

USSSA authorizes directors in sanctioned tournaments to ask to inspect bats at anytime. A player's refusal to submit their bat to inspection will automatically qualify them to a suspension of up to two years. The owner of a duly inspected bat that has been officially ruled altered, meanwhile, will receive a suspension of up to five years if a first-time violator and a lifetime ban if a repeat violator.

A bat is deemed altered or doctored if it has been found physically modified from its original out-of-the-box form. Most alterations are done on non-wood bats, although cases of alterations on wood have been reported in the bast.

Bat altering practices include:

Painting. A "painted bat" is one in which a banned bat is painted to look like a legal one. Organizations ban certain bat models if they have been found unable to comply with standards (such as the 1.20 BPF) for the rest of their lives. Lists of banned bats can be found on the organizations' websites.

Painting a banned bat to make it appear authentic calls for intricate skills, and indeed to the unaided or unknowledgeable eye a carefully painted bat can look the real thing.

Shaving. Shaving can be done on both the barrel and the handle. When shaving the barrel, the top cap is taken off and a lathe is inserted into the hollow barrel. The wall is shaved to a desired thickness/thinness, and the cap replaced. The aim is to enhance the trampoline effect. With a thinner wall, the bat is now more flexible-and less durable. Shaved-barrel bats are much more likely to dent and crack.

A bat's handle is shaved to make the bat able to bend and whip back further. A shaved handle is actually easier to conceal because it can be layered with tape or grip.

End Loading. Bats are classified as either balanced or end-loaded. Balanced bats have their heavier part closer to the handle, while end-loaded bats have it closer to the barrel. End-loaded bats swing farther and faster. A typical end-loading procedure is done by removing the metal rod or weighted rings located at the knob (which makes the barrel heavier). Another method requires that the end cap be removed and a weight inserted into the barrel.

Accelerated Break-In. ABI, though legal, is sometimes considered another form of bat alteration. This is because it speeds up the normal break-in time of a composite bat. Composite bats are known to improve in performance for every use, but it will not happen until the bats are fully broken in.

David P. whitfield is an Online Content Manager that mostly writes about Baseball and Softball equipments , Baseball Bats, Softball Bats,slow pitch softball bats and Sporting goods. You can connect on facebook at facebook page or name