NCAA Places a Moratorium on Composite Baseball Bats

NCAA Places a Moratorium on Composite Baseball Bats

Below is a memorandum that was recently sent to the bat manufacturers. It has to do with the performance level of composite collegiate baseball bats increasing in performance after use. This is old news in the slowpitch game, where players have been aware of bats “breaking in” almost since the inception of composite bats. The various slowpitch governing bodies have implemented a bevy of testing procedures in an attempt to ensure that the performance level of composite bats does not change over time. Now that the NCAA is involved with this apparent issue, it will be interesting to see what, if any, effect their decision will have on the college fastpitch game and if their will be any eventual trickle-down to the slowpitch game.

MEMORANDUM

July 17, 2009

TO: Athletics Directors, Conference Commissioners, and Head Baseball Coaches.

FROM: xxxxx, xxxxxxx

NCAA Baseball Rules Committee.

SUBJECT: Composite Bat Moratorium.

This correspondence is being sent on behalf of the Baseball Rules Committee, alerting the college baseball and bat manufacturing community to an important action being taken in regard to certain bats that have been used in NCAA competition. After significant dialog and review of research collected during the Division I Baseball Championship, the committee is proposing an immediate and indefinite moratorium on the use of composite barreled bats. The committee believes this action is needed in order to protect the integrity of the game and to enhance the safety of the student-athletes.

Before the committee’s recent meeting, numerous concerns were voiced by the membership with a request for action. After a thorough review of compliance testing and a review of the improved performance of composite bats, often exceeding NCAA acceptable limits, these concerns have proven to be valid. Therefore, the committee has decided to put an immediate and indefinite moratorium on the use of composite bats in NCAA competition.

The research reviewed included compliance testing during the Division I Baseball Championship. During this testing, 80 percent of the composite bats tested failed the current NCAA performance level. Because all bat designs must pass this test before mass production, this research indicates that the performance of such bats changed thereafter, mostly likely due to repeated, normal use and/or intentional alteration. Offensive statistics at the Division I level also indicate a significant increase in batting averages and home runs the past two seasons.

While the committee is mindful of the possibility that its proposed moratorium may have an economic impact on some NCAA member institutions, the committee believes that the testing data and other evidence on this matter, as well as its responsibility to protect the integrity of the game and the welfare of student-athletes, clearly outweigh any such impact.

The committee requests your feedback regarding this action, which will be considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel at an upcoming meeting. Please send any feedback to xxxx. xxxxxx at the NCAA by Monday, August 3 and it will be shared with the Panel.

Thank you for your attention to this memorandum.

xxxxxx, xxxxxxx