2011 NFHS changes

[Rich]

Did someone post these or did they just slide through?

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NFHS 2011 Baseball Rules Changes

1-1-2
Addition: The umpire shall not accept the lineup card until all substitutes are listed. There is no penalty assessed. Rationale: Having all known substitutes listed will speed up substitution and player changes. A coach will still be able to add a substitute to the game with no penalty.

1-3-2 through 5
Effective beginning the 2010-11 school year, composite bats shall be illegal until meeting the standards of 1-3-2(e). ART. 2 . . . The bat shall have the following characteristics and components. a. Each legal wood, aluminum or composite bat shall:
1. Be one piece, multi-pieces and permanently assembled, or two pieces with interchangeable barrel construction.
2. Not have exposed rivets, pins, rough or sharp edges or any form of exterior fastener that would present a hazard.
3. Be free of rattles, dents, burrs, cracks and sharp edges. Bats that are broken, altered or that deface the ball are illegal. Materials inside the bat or treatments/devices used to alter the bat specifications and/or enhance performance are prohibited and render the bat illegal.
b. Each legal wood, aluminum or composite bat shall have the following components: 1. Knob. The bat knob shall protrude from the handle. The knob may
be molded, lathed, welded or permanently fastened. Devices, attachments or wrappings are permitted except those that cause the knob to become flush with the handle. A one-piece rubber knob and bat grip combination is illegal.
2. Handle. The bat handle is the area of the bat that begins at, but does not include, the knob and ends where the taper begins.
3. Barrel. The barrel is the area intended for contact with the pitch. The barrel shall be round, cylindrically symmetric and smooth. The barrel may be aluminum, wood or composite (made of two or more materials). The type of bat (wood, aluminum or composite) shall be determined by the composition of the barrel.
4. Taper. The taper is an optional transition area which connects the narrower handle to the wider barrel portion of the bat. Its length and material may vary but may not extend more than 18 inches from the base of the knob.
5. End Cap. The end cap is made of rubber, vinyl, plastic or other approved material. It shall be firmly secured and permanently affixed to the end of the bat so that it cannot be removed by anyone other than the manufacturer, without damaging or destroying it. By definition, a one-piece construction bat does not have an end cap.
c. Each bat not made of a single piece of wood shall: 1. Have a safety grip made of cork, tape (no smooth, plastic tape) or
commercially manufactured composition material. The grip must extend a minimum of 10 inches, but not more than 18 inches, from the base of the knob. Slippery tape or similar material shall be prohibited. Resin, pine tar or any drying agent to enhance the hold are permitted only on the grip. Molded grips are illegal.
2. Be 2 5/8” or less in diameter at thickest part and 36 inches or less in length.
3. Not weigh, numerically, more than three ounces less than the length of the bat (e.g., a 33-inch-long bat cannot be less than 30 ounces).
d. Through December 31, 2011, each aluminum bat shall meet the Ball Exit-Speed Ratio (BESR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. No BESR label, sticker or decal will be accepted on any non-wood bat.
e. Beginning January 1, 2012, all bats not made of a single piece of wood shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. The certification mark shall be rectangular, a minimum of a half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color. Aluminum and composite bats shall be labeled as approved tamper evident, and be marked as to being aluminum or composite. This marking shall be silkscreen or other permanent certification mark, a minimum of one-half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color.
f. An aluminum bat meeting the standards of 1-3-2(e) is legal immediately. g. A composite bat shall be illegal until meeting the standards of 1-3-2(e). ART. 3 . . . A bat made of a single piece of wood may be roughened or wound with tape not more than 18 inches from the handle end of the bat. No foreign substance may be added to the surface of the bat beyond 18 inches from the end of the handle. Each bat made of a single piece of wood shall be:
a. 23⁄4 inches or less in diameter at the thickest part
b. 36 inches or less in length ART. 4 . . . Only bats may be used in warming up (including weighted bats
used for this purpose) at any location. Only bats and items designed to remain part of the bat, such as weighted bats, batting donuts, and wind-resistant devices are legal at any location.
ART. 5 . . . Bats that are altered from the manufacturer’s original design and production, or that do not meet the rule specifications, are illegal (See 7-4-1a). No foreign substance may be inserted into the bat. Bats that are broken, cracked or dented or that deface the ball, i.e., tear the ball, shall be removed without penalty. A bat that continually discolors the ball may be removed from the game with no penalty at the discretion of the umpire.
Rationale: Recent bat products have circumvented the intent and spirit of the current rule. Improvements in science and technology now allow this change that will require bats to be within performance limits during the life of the bat. In addition, this change will minimize the ability for the bat to be tampered with or altered.

1-5-8
Change: Hard and unyielding items (guards, casts, braces, splints, etc.) must be padded with a closed-cell, slow-recovery foam padding no less than 1/2" thick. Knee and ankle braces which are unaltered from the manufacturer's original design/production do not require any additional padding.
Rationale: Risk minimization and clarification from the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

2-16-2
Change: A foul tip is a batted ball that goes directly to the catcher's hands and
is legally caught by the catcher. It is a strike and the ball is in play. Rationale: Clarification and ease of application for the umpires and coaches.

3-1-5
New: Any player who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the game and shall not return to play until cleared by an appropriate health- care professional. (See NFHS Suggested Guidelines for Management of Concussions)
Rationale: Clarification from the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee

8-2-6l
New: Last Time By. If a runner correctly touches a base that was missed (either in advancing or returning), the last time he was by the base, that last touch corrects any previous base running-infraction. Rationale: Clarification of a commonly accepted practice.

[jicecone]

I think they need to be a little more specific on the details about bats?.

[David B]

Originally Posted by jicecone

I think they need to be a little more specific on the details about bats?.

Yea was just thinking have to show up 30 minutes earlier to the game just to check bats ...

Thanks
David

[jkumpire]

We will just have to carry a list of illegal bats a mile long, like the SB guys and gals do.

[MD Longhorn]

can't wait for the first coach to argue, after a foul tip that goes right into the mitt, that it didn't hit the catcher's hands.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

can't wait for the first coach to argue, after a foul tip that goes right into the mitt, that it didn't hit the catcher's hands.

Would that not require a coach to have read the rule first ??

[TwoBits]

So, to clarify, composite bats with a BESR stamp will be illegal, but composite bats with a BBCOR stamp are legal, correct?

[TwoBits]

Just to make it even more confusing, apparently now there is going to be a list of composite bats that have only the BESR logo, but are still legal for 2010-2011:

NFHS | Approved BESR-ABI Composite Baseball Bats

As of now, only the Demarini CF4, gold colored version is listed.

[johnnyg08]

What a bunch of crap...like I want to spend 10 minutes in each dugout checking bats. It's getting ridiculous.

[zm1283]

This is the only part I can't figure out:

No BESR label, sticker or decal will be accepted on any non-wood bat.

This is in the part talking about prior to December 31, 2011.

So are all BESR non-composite bats LEGAL until the end of 2011? This sentence contradicts that it seems.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by zm1283

This is the only part I can't figure out:



This is in the part talking about prior to December 31, 2011.

So are all BESR non-composite bats LEGAL until the end of 2011? This sentence contradicts that it seems.

When BESR was first implemented, bats could have a sticker. Now, the logo / certification must be screened onto the bat.

This requirement is not new and has nothing to do with the composition of the bat.

[johnnyg08]

right...because a company was developed that sold a sheet of BESR stickers.

[SAump]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

right...because a company was developed that sold a sheet of BESR stickers.

I can't tell if your kidding or reporting an obvious reason for FED to transfer certification procedures away from BESR and onto BBCOR.

Is there real money at stake? IOW, do the major sporting good companies whose products are produced in 3rd world countries {specifically China and Vietnam} control the rights to make these products?

[johnnyg08]

I don't know FED's reason but when the sticker was the only requirement, I had a coach/friend show me a sheet of "BESR" stickers (I saw them) that he had in his bag. This was during a casual conversation away from the field in a driveway over a cold beer.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by johnnyg08

right...because a company was developed that sold a sheet of BESR stickers.

I don't think it was because of that. It was because some bats already in use met the requirement and rather than making the bats illegal, or waiting another year (or more) to implement the strategy, FED chose to allow the stickers.

I'm not saying that "cheating" didn't happen. I will say that I don't recall seeing any stickers on bats in my games.