What are the rules governing a thrown bat?

[NCASAUmp]

Yes, but there's a difference between throwing a bat in anger, a bat slipping out of someone's hands, and a batter who simply hasn't figured out how/when to let go of a bat after a hit. Throwing a bat in anger, in ASA, is covered by the rules supplement: ejection. A bat that slips out of a player's hands by accident is nothing.

However, what to do in the case of a batter who simply doesn't know how to drop/toss the bat after a hit? Some umpires view it as USC, and give a warning the first time, eject the second time. However, being that there's nothing in the ASA rule book that covers this act specifically, it would be hard to back this up. Most of the players who do this are your typical rec-league class C/D players, who simply want to play some ball and have some fun, then go out to the local pub and laugh about it later (some do it in reverse order, but that's another subject). I typically warn the player quietly the first time, then warn the player and coach/captain the second time. Usually, that does the trick, and no one loses face. I've never had to toss anyone for a third thrown bat, even though I've "threatened" it.

Should this latter case be considered USC? I can't quite bring myself to say yes, but at the same time, the safety issue does need to somehow be addressed. Perhaps it's better addressed by the leagues themselves, as ASA probably assumes that since their rules are for championship play, most championship-level teams shouldn't have this problem.