[apollo2232]

At my OHSAA state rules meeting for umpiring we went over rule 1-5-2c, which states that the taper of the bat "Shall have a smooth, solid surface and shall have a conical shape." I specifically asked the rules interpreter who was in charge of our meeting about the "Demarini Vendetta" bat with the Rails Technology, do to the fact that it has four flat sides, but still has rounded corners, making it almost a mix between conical and square. It has the proper ASA stamp, but due to the new rule, may be a banned bat. He told me that the bat was illegal, and I immediately cancelled my order on the bat that I had ordered for our varsity team.

Now I see the bat being used by a number of teams, and I want to know if the bat really is illegal, or if the rules interpreter was wrong. Any thoughts?

[SBFAMILY]

http://www.asasoftball.com/about/get...urerDetail.asp
High school uses the ASA web page . It is listed on the approved bat list above. The non approved bat list keeps getting larger. Not sure how an umpire would know, without the new list. Ran into this same type of issue with my dd's 2008 bat which is on the approved bat list. The ASA part of the stamp is worn and hard to read, yet a girl had the same bat using it in the game and you could tell it was an approved bat, but they wouldn't let her use it. This is becoming a nightmare with umpires and very costly to parents who are shelling out $300 and being told you can't use a bat!

[CrankIt]

Originally Posted by apollo2232

At my OHSAA state rules meeting for umpiring we went over rule 1-5-2c, which states that the taper of the bat "Shall have a smooth, solid surface and shall have a conical shape." I specifically asked the rules interpreter who was in charge of our meeting about the "Demarini Vendetta" bat with the Rails Technology, do to the fact that it has four flat sides, but still has rounded corners, making it almost a mix between conical and square. It has the proper ASA stamp, but due to the new rule, may be a banned bat. He told me that the bat was illegal, and I immediately cancelled my order on the bat that I had ordered for our varsity team.

Now I see the bat being used by a number of teams, and I want to know if the bat really is illegal, or if the rules interpreter was wrong. Any thoughts?

The conical shape they are referring to is the portion of the bat that transitions from the barrel area to the handle portion. The Vendetta is on the approved bat list.

[apollo2232]

Thanks for the input from both of you. I really just want to know for my own knowledge so that I don't sound stupid when I discuss it with others.

[Eagle Assault]

Apollo, before each game, ask the umpires whether it is legal or illegal. Keep a running total of each response. Not by umpire name, but by legal or illegal. Then consult the UIC for the district and let him know your data. At the very least, he will know that there is much confusion on this particular bat and that it needs to be resolved.

[apollo2232]

Eagle, thats a fantastic idea, and I think I may take your advice, though we only have 7 games left in the regular season, so my data will be somewhat incomplete, at least it will be something.