Ball rotation

[okla21fan]

I follow standard ball rotation procedures in NFHS and ASA Championship play but rarely follow it in league play and 'local' ASA tournaments (mainly because the UIC tells us not to)

My question is, what are the pros and con of ball rotation and why do we still use it? (I remember back in the 80s in some men's fastpitch where each team supplied their own balls, there was a need for ball rotation, but today with most tournaments and high school home team supplying balls usually the same brand and such, I am not understanding the reasoning behind it)

When I do enforce ball rotation even at the HS level, I receive much push back from teams and even some partners saying 'that the pitchers should be able to throw what ever ball they want to'.

discuss?

[DaveASA/FED]

The reason the I know of is to get both balls into the game. The real rotation only happens at the bottom of the 1st if the starting ball hasn't gone out of play. That just allows both balls to be a little broke in. Nothing worse than going 6 innings and a ball finally going out of play and you give them a new shiny one!

[RadioBlue]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

The reason the I know of is to get both balls into the game. The real rotation only happens at the bottom of the 1st if the starting ball hasn't gone out of play. That just allows both balls to be a little broke in. Nothing worse than going 6 innings and a ball finally going out of play and you give them a new shiny one!

...and that shiny new one is much harder than the others. One teams gets a bigger advantage being at-bat when the new one comes into play. Not sure that's an absolute fact, but that's a rationale behind ball rotatation.

[okla21fan]

I understand the reasoning in the first two half innings. I am more interested in later on in the game when the balls have already been put into play. Why do we use standard ball rotation procedures lets say in the 5th inning?

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by okla21fan

I understand the reasoning in the first two half innings. I am more interested in later on in the game when the balls have already been put into play. Why do we use standard ball rotation procedures lets say in the 5th inning?

Which rules orgs has a ball rotation requirement after the 1st inning?

[okla21fan]

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst

Which rules orgs has a ball rotation requirement after the 1st inning?

Be the letter of the rule:
ASA
NFHS
(I cant speak for other orgs as I don't call them)