ASA slow pitch illegal bat rule....

[dsimp8]

Originally Posted by Dakota

I wouldn't consider a cracked bat to be altered. Just illegal.

Declare him out for the bat? I had to throw a bat out last night but I made sure the coach knew about the bat and not just the player it belonged to. That put the onus on the coach. I knew most of these players (and the one who's bat it was) so I knew it wasn't going to come back out. I think the coach thought he and/or the player would be ejected. Would you consider it unsportmanlike conduct for bringing out a piece of equipment that they KNEW had been removed from the game?

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by dsimp8

Declare him out for the bat? I had to throw a bat out last night but I made sure the coach knew about the bat and not just the player it belonged to. That put the onus on the coach. I knew most of these players (and the one who's bat it was) so I knew it wasn't going to come back out. I think the coach thought he and/or the player would be ejected. Would you consider it unsportmanlike conduct for bringing out a piece of equipment that they KNEW had been removed from the game?

1. Yes, declare him out for the bat.
2. No, you don't know them. Team A is Team A, Team B is Team B, and you are Team Z. You don't have friends out there, nor do you hve enemies. You have two teams wanting to play, and you are the arbitrator.
3. Don't let them put altered/illegal/cracked anything "back in their bag." don't let it in the dugout. How far is the parking lot? The trunk is a good place for it...that way you don't offend a "friend."
4. No, the onus is not on the coach. It's on the player who is in that batter's box with a bat you have tossed.
5. It's ALL sanctioned, whether it's a championship tournament or Tuesday night beer league. When you are out there on that field with Bubba and Jim Bob, you ARE the UIC.
6. Enforce the effin rules. If it bothers you that you might have to run Frankie Joe, then you might want to consider doing a different field or a different league.

[NCASAUmp]

I consider a cracked bat to be an altered bat. Its characteristics have been altered after it rolled off the assembly line, and a crack in the bat is a huge safety hazard. How it was altered was, 99% of the time a bat is cracked, completely unintentional. However, if a player disobeys the order to get rid of it for that game, then I would say that warrants an ejection, which is backed by the rules.

When I find a cracked bat or a bat that doesn't pass through the ring, I always find the coach/captain and tell them to get rid of it. I usually say it loudly enough so that everyone in the dugout can hear me without question, and my voice does tend to carry when I'm in uniform.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Did anyone bother reading the definitons?

An altered bat is a legal softball bat that has been changed. Not that has changed, but has BEEN changed.

An illegal bat is one that does not meet the requirements of a legal bat. IOW, rule 3.1.

A bat that shifts out of spec of rule 3.1 through normal use and wear is simply an illegal bat. A bat that someone acted to alter it's physical characteristics is an altered bat.

[SRW]

I've re-read case plays and rules and even the clinic guide ... talked to three other umps, including Wild Bill, and I believe I'm convinced it's illegal, not altered. I stand corrected. (well, sitting, actually, but yeah..)

[bkbjones]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

A bat that shifts out of spec of rule 3.1 through normal use and wear is simply an illegal bat. A bat that someone acted to alter it's physical characteristics is an altered bat.

Or, in the case of the OP, wear and tear.

(Sorry, I could not resist...)

OK, gotta run, those old reruns of "American Gladiators" is on. (j/k, gotta go chaperone Jim Bob and Bubba at the ol' ball yard.)