New bat rule

[GIMNEPIWO]

Rule3, Section 1. OFFICIAL BAT.
B. SAFETY KNOB: the knob shall have a diameter of at least 1.6 inches with no sharp edges. The knob will be permanently attached to the bat and may be taped with safety tape.

D. SAFETY GRIP: Covers the handle region of the bat. The Safety Grip shall not be less than 10 inches and not more than 15 inches. There shall be no exposed metal in the 10 - 15 inch area. The Safety Grip may be a molded finger formed grip as long as it is permanently attached to the bat, or attached with safety tape. Resin, pine tar or spray substances are permissible on the Safety Grip only. Any tape applied to the Safety Grip must be a continuous spiral. A bat having a flare or cone shaped grip attached is legal.

I was not at the meetings and do not have the new book yet ... But it says permanantely attached also may be taped and the part about the flare or cone shape attached being legal ... One could argue that the intent of the rule is to make sure the cone or flare is form fittting and not flopping loosely on the knob as some do ... Thus having the appearance of being permanentely attached, much as the safety grips are when the bats come from the factory ...

[Bretman]

Since the new bat rules go to the trouble of defining the different parts of a bat- the barrel, the taper, the handle, the knob- wouldn't the little rubber pads that attach to the knob be governed only by the rule that specifically defines the knob?

IOW, the tapered grips fall under the jurisdiction of the rule about the handle and safety grip and are now legal if taped over. The "power pad", or similar attachments which attach only to the knob, should be covered under the rule describing the knob, not the handle. Unfortunately, there's nothing there about attachments to the knob, so we're still kind of left guessing about that.

Mike's comment that the intent of the rule is to cover anything attached to the bat makes sense and he was there when the new rule was crafted. But the actual printed rule- which is all most participants will have the luxury of being guided by- doesn't spell that out. This is a point I'll probably ask to have clarified by our local "powers that be" when our ASA meetings start next month. Their interpretation might be the same- that the rule refers to "anything attached"- or it might be different, but at least it should bring some uniformity to how our local umpires will be enforcing it.

[Imperial SB Dad]

Straight from the ASA web site: http://asasoftball.com/umpires/clarifications_2010_january.asp

Pretty clear that "choke up knobs" are now legal as long as they are taped on.

Rule 3, Section 1: New rules passed by the ASA Council have been posted on the ASA website for all to review. Because of changes to Rule 3 Section 1 we should add some comments to deal with them in this month’s clarifications and frequently asked questions.

You will notice a change in the definitions describing parts of the bat. We have added a definition of the area between the handle and the barrel known as the taper. It was added to help equipment manufactures understand the area that we consider neither the handle nor the barrel of the bat. This allows for new bat designs to be an approved bat as this area is now clearly defined.

The definition of the bat handle has also been rewritten and now allows many things that were previously not allowed or considered an altered bat. The question of the choke up attachment or cone shaped grip was previously ruled to be an altered bat is no longer considered an altered bat. These attachments are legal provided they are permanently attached to the bat or attached with safety tape. We now allow more than two layers of tape on the bat handle.

These changes allow ASA to work on the barrel end of the bat to make the game more playable for everyone and reduce conflict on the items used to hold the bat. These changes make our rules more “player-friendly” and hopefully more fun for all those that participate in our great game of softball.

[SoCalASABlue]

Just to throw another wrench into the conversation...at the rules clinic this past weekend, at the session discussing new rules for 2010, the instructor said that the "choke up" attachment - if used - could now be used as long as it was attached with the required tape (no electrical tape or duct tape) at the knob...no taping it partially up the handle...and certainly no multiple attachments...in fact, the discussion ended with "if a girl needs to choke up that much, get a shorter bat"...

[Bretman]

The "choke up knob" is a rubber disk/donut, roughly the same size and diameter as the bat knob, which attaches to the handle of the bat. The new rule specifically addresses items attached to the handle of the bat.

The "power pad" is something that attaches ONLY around the bat knob, not the handle. This device doesn't even touch the handle. The new rule defining the knob doesn't clearly define what can be attached to the knob, other than tape.

EASTON CHOKE KNOB


EASTON POWER PAD

[anonlooker]

I could have sworn at our manager's meeting the UIC for SoCal ASA made it a point to tell all of us that that item is now legal.
Go figure...

Really? Without being taped as noted in the new rule?

Hmmm.....interesting.

I don't recall any mention of taping being a criteria

He prolly just forgot to mention it.

[nohesitation]

I was at the meeting sitting in the front, near the podium (right behind the big boys) and the UIC said the “power pads” were legal. No tape was mentioned. A question was raised about the fact that at States, in so cal, they allowed the “power pads” and at Nationals they didn’t allow the “power pads”. The UIC said So Cal ASA interprets them as legal and the rest of ASA sees them as illegal. The UIC said there is nothing in the rules that prohibits the use of the “power pad”. The “choke up” pad was not mentioned. I can’t find anything in the rules that prevents the use of the “power pad”. Section D in the book does not pertain to the use of the “power pad” which snaps to the knob not the handle.

[MTR]

Hey G, I would think the "safety knob" as listed above is the actual end of the bat that we all think of as the knob and I have never seen one not permanently attached.
The rubber add ons, like the easton, would fall under the category of "safety grip"

Very valid point and something which may have been overlooked in Reno. The manner in which the new definition breaks down to components of the bat does address the handle, including the safety grip, and the knob as two separate parts of the bat.

So, unless the pad adds .65 inches to the diameter of the knob or infringes on any part of the handle or somehow creates a sharp edge, these pads seem to not be addressed in the rules one way or the other. Which means there is nothing to exclude their use at this time.

BTW, don't know where "choke up" pad or ring originated, but when these items first appeared in my area, it was mostly in SP and used to make it more comfortable for the batter to place their hand over the knob. In the FP game, the Power Pads were added to what is now defined as the handle and sat on top of the knob which forced the batter to hold the handle higher. Of course, this is when Power Pads were specifically addressed in the rule book and were legal.

[HugoTafurst]

The "choke up knob" is a rubber disk/donut, roughly the same size and diameter as the bat knob, which attaches to the handle of the bat. The new rule specifically addresses items attached to the handle of the bat.

The "power pad" is something that attaches ONLY around the bat knob, not the handle. This device doesn't even touch the handle. The new rule defining the knob doesn't clearly define what can be attached to the knob, other than tape.

EASTON CHOKE KNOB


EASTON POWER PAD

At the National Clinic I attended last weekend, it was clearly stated that those attachments to the knob only (attachments I've heard referred to as "sting stoppers") are NOT ILLEGAL.

It was pointed out that the knob requirement only mentions a minimum diameter of 1.6.


"SAFETY KNOB: The knob shall have a diameter of at least 1.6 inches with no sharp edges. The knob shall be permanently attached to the bat and may be taped with safety tape."

I suppose you could make an argument that it is not permanent unless taped with safety tape, but personally, I don't see the point. The way the rubber wraps around the knob only seems "permanent" to me (or at least as permanent as with safety tape).
What can be the problem.. certainly not safety.