2009 ASA Rule Changes Approved
 

A conference will not be charged when the pitcher is removed

A bat must have an ASA Certification stamp on it.

A bat cannot have any dents

Approved two-piece bats allowed

Optic yellow ball mandatory starting 2010

Metal spikes worn when prohibited will result in an ejection if the player refuses to remove them

No penalty for an unreported substitute (as of now)

HR limits established for women's SP

HR limits changed in men's SP (B-6, C-4, D-2, E-0) (Passed by General Council vote) Yes, there is now an E level

Adult FP run ahead for 5 innings is now 7.

Men's A run ahead rule is now 20 after 4 & 15 after 5

Men's 45+ FP to use tie breaker

20 second violation is now just a ball on the batter, not IP

Gorilla Gold now legal for FP

All SP batters now start with a 1-1 count (Passed by General Council vote)

16" ball remains live after a walk

Masters SP no longer need to run out HR

A fair batted ball which hits the fence, then the fielder and then goes out of play is a GRD

Any defensive player may make a live ball appeal

All FP and ADA players can use courtesy runner. ADA CR can be any player.

Men's FP catcher can use courtesy runner

Did you mean dead ball appeal?

Will ASA publish a text list of all non-approved bats with stamps, similar to the one that is all-encompassing on the website?

This will make the list a LOT shorter!

I love it! Hopefully that will make life just a bit easier.

I take it that this will pretty much do away with the need to check bats with a bat ring?

Might we see something established later before the season starts?

I like this change as well.

Interesting. Still has to be a legal sub I assume. So now, can a CR for F4 be a CR for F6 in the next inning? Or will the CR still be locked to the position they CR'd for?

Wouldn't count on it. For one, you still need to make sure that it's a legal bat. Secondly, a bat ring is your first line of defense against a bat that has been painted. These bat doctors are good, but even the best bat doctors eventually make mistakes.

Nope

I'm pretty sure they already do that.

No. "Any eligible player in the official line up including a substitute can be a courtesy runner."

BTW, the 1-1 count change excludes the Masters and Seniors game.

And the rule does not specify "Gorilla Gold", but references it as an example of an "approved drying agent".

Sort of. They currently have a list of non-approved bats, but the list includes the bats' pictures and turns it into 2 pages.

What they don't have is a list of bats with stamps that are unapproved. That would be an even MORE helpful list with the requirement for a stamp. Bat check becomes:

1) Bat have a stamp? No - OUT.
2) Yes, is bat one of the 2 (or 10, but very short list) unapproved bats with a stamp? Yes - OUT
3) No - Allowed

Then, I don't understand the change. Is it a technical change to the rule wording (since the RS already says ANY fielder...) :confused:

Click here for ASA's Non Approved Bats with Certification Marks (2000 and 2004)

http://www.asasoftball.com/about/bui..._pics_2000.asp

Are these people who are playing that have no clue what a softball, bat, or running the bases is? :eek: