Have they changed the rules on rolling bats?

[CoreSoftball20]

Thanks.
Note: I only referenced the Clarity as an example of a bat that was designed to show signs of being altered, not of one that spiraled.

Yeah, I know you did. I just didnt want you to think they were the same technology. A lot of people dont know the spiraling thing exists in bats until they do what they shouldnt...haha

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I'll ask a silly question. Who has the authority to take the bat from the player and who can "start" that process?

At some parks we have played at the tournament director has stated any ball that injures a player (batted ball hits player and player comes out of game) the bat is automatically confiscated by the umpire. Sometimes the bats are given back after game/tourney other times the bats are sent off for testing.

I have never seen a bat confiscated for any other reason (at Coaches request for example).

I have seen teams where everyone uses the same bat, and I was always suspicious. They had a whole bat rack of nice new bats (and it's rare to see a team where everyone uses the same bat).

I tend to think the parents are the one driving the bat altering (whether they know it's illegal or not). Most kids probably have no clue.

Just my observations.

 

[KCPRK]

Ok. That is all well and good but what does that have to do with someone that gets hit by a line drive or hit by a batted ball in general?

That is also BS about not knowing if it was altered or not. If I buy a bat from a retailer that has been altered, I would have absolutely no idea. Such a stupid rule in that regard.

Who deems when a bat should be checked? If it is the coach then every hard hit ball is going to be challenged by me so the other team is left with no bats....even if it is new out of the wrapper because it could have been tampered with and the person not know it. Ridiculous.

From a legal standpoint without a VOID or FAIL indicator on a bat if you purchased it second hand or used and can verify that you bought it used then you would have plausible deniability. You would not be liable or suspendable if it went to court.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

GS, well of course it's the adults driving the altered bats. Little Suzie doesn't have $50 to ship it off to be rolled or $100 for a shave. She also doesn't have a credit card or paypal account to pay the fee even if she had the money. And kids today probably have no clue about money orders.

These parents want their 70lb angel driving the ball 250'.

 

[Slappers]

According to the rule as read from Gunners post, knowing is the responsibility of the owner so there is no such thing as plausible deniability.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

GS, well of course it's the adults driving the altered bats. Little Suzie doesn't have $50 to ship it off to be rolled or $100 for a shave. She also doesn't have a credit card or paypal account to pay the fee even if she had the money. And kids today probably have no clue about money orders.

These parents want their 70lb angel driving the ball 250'.

We went to a hitting coach that did bat rolling. He did it at the facility for where the lessons were given. There were several bats (baseball and softball) lined up that had been recently rolled. He charged $40 per bat.

The guy was also a coach of a 12u travel fastpitch team so no doubt all of his team bats were rolled.

My DD at the first lesson read the sign ($40 for bat rolling) and asked me what that was. We talked about it and now she knows.

 

[Slappers]

If I found a player on my team purposely rolled/shaved a bat, I would dismiss them. It would be hard because I'm sure the parents would have had something to do with it though. Honestly, this team isn't competitive enough to cheat.

 

[SBFAMILY]

Anytime you play in ASA champship play they have the right take your bat. I have seen it done many times over the years. If it fails the ring test they take it and then give it back at end of tournament. The old Yellow Louisville Sluggers were known to fail the ring test. Keep in mind in our society you hurt someone with a bat and find out it was illegal you might as well get ready for a lawsuit !
We broke in bats by using a rubber mallet years ago. . You would hit the bat while turning it to break the fibers lose so it would break in faster. Of course your bat wouldn't last as long.

 

[starsnuffer]

Rolled bats are pretty easy to spot. The barrels are concave. I see a lot of them at college camps. Fortunately most of the coaches recognize the bats too and silently cross the kid off their list.

-W

 

[ms244]

We were on a team a couple years ago and a parent paid money to have his DD's bat rolled. I looked at the bat when it returned and it looked no different and was no different feel from a new bat. If you can see a "concave" bat then you have better eyes than I do. I have never seen a "concave" bat (other than the boat oar Rocketech), but that isn't because of rolling.