UPDATE: BYBA plans to continue to follow the BBCOR recommendations for acceptable bats in the 2012 season. We will provide an updated list for the spring season when it becomes available. Parents should assume that any bats that were not allowed last year will still not be allowed in 2012.
As mentioned in an e-mail sent in December of 2010, youth baseball bat standards are in flux. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has issued new regulations for high school bats that were originally adopted by the NCAA. The BYBA Board of Directors investigated its impact on the players of our league.
Subsequently, the BYBA Board voted to ban composite bats at ALL levels of BYBA. By definition, a composite bat is any metal shell bat with woven composite fibers (including bats with composite handles). This decision is consistent with many other youth baseball leagues and is centered on the safety of the players. Naturally, this decision prompted many questions and we were tasked to further define what was acceptable for our league. The following standard is our new rule for baseball bats used during any BYBA practice, cage, or game.
SAUER LEAGUE (13&14 years): We are following the CIF Baseball Bat standards www.cifstate.org which are BBCOR approved bats (with BBCOR stamp affixed to the bat), that follow a -3 weight to length ratio, as are described through the BBCOR Approved Baseball Bats List, or any wooden bat, or any all aluminum bat with a barrel not larger than 2 and 5/8.
ALL OTHER BYBA LEAGUES (EXCLUDING COLT/AMERICAN LEGION): Any wooden bat or any all aluminum bats with a barrel not larger than 2 and 5/8.
BYBA BAT APPROVAL STICKER: The new stickers need to be affixed to all metal bats used in our league. Please see your league director for your bat approval.
This ruling is effective immediately…
