- May 29, 2015
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This weekend we played a PGF and I know one girl hit with an illegal Ghost and was ruled out. The other came out to hit, but the umpire noticed before she actually did. She just swapped her bat out. Anyone know what the PGF rules say about that? Neither game was ours and it wasn't any of our players. Just curious.
My understanding (no direct experience with PGF) is that PGF uses NFHS rules. NFHS allows ASA stamped bats, so the gold Ghost would be illegal since it does not bear the ASA stamp.
NFHS ruling:
Rule 7 Batting
SECTION 4 BATTER IS OUT
ART. 2 . . . The batter enters the batter's box with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat and the infraction is detected before the next legal or illegal pitch (only the umpire or defense may detect an illegal bat).
PENALTY: The ball is dead immediately. All runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. When the illegal bat is an altered or nonapproved bat, the batter and head coach are also ejected. Runners would not return if they were put out on the play.
So ... if caught after the fact and after a pitch has been thrown, it’s nothing.
If caught in the box before hitting, the batter is out and ejected and the head coach goes with her.
If caught after hitting a ball, but before the next pitch, the batter is out and ejected, the head coach goes with her, and any runner advancement it nullified (NOT runners who got out though - they are still out).
Interesting side note: I interpreted the title as a gold (USSSA) Ghost being used elsewhere, not as a blue Ghost being used in USSSA.