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Yes, it is a safety issue. Tapering the handle to meet the knob reduces the effectiveness of the knob.
I have pulled bats during a pre-game inspection for this violation, but have never needed to remove it from the game as the player would simply remove the excess tape. It is usually not a big deal.
Once again, it is a safety factor and if someone gets hurt with a bat with excess tape, the player and umpire may be subject to litigation.
Personally, I could care less about how you tape your bat. Or at least, not until I see that you may have a difficult time retaining a grip after a swing.
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The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
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