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New BBCOR Rating versus BSER Bats |
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| Recently, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the governing body of High School Baseball, made the decision to alter their bat rules to match NCAA rules – in a few short words; if it’s not legal in college, it’s not legal in high school. At the core of the situation is the NCAA decision to ban 100% composite bats The rule changed is NFHS 1.3.2, which requires (starting 1/1/11) all non-wood bats to meet the Batted Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard. This is a much stricter standard than the old BESR standard. According to the NFHS, “the new standard ensures that performances by non-wood bats are more comparable to those of wood bats. It’s also expected to minimize risk, improve play and increase teaching opportunities”. They say “After working with the NCAA and having access to its research, we’ve concluded it’s in our best interest to make this change”. “BBCOR includes the BESR standard, so we’re actually expanding upon our current standard, which will be more appropriate for our age and skill level. It is expected that many composite barrel bats will not meet the new BBCOR standard and will not be legal in 2011. The reason for the ban? The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel found that 20 out of the 25 composite bats tested during the 2009 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament failed the BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) test. The tests showed that the balls were actually coming off the bat much quicker than what the specifications state. Since bats must pass the BESR specification inside the factory before reaching the market, there are two possible hypotheses. One suggests that the performance of composite bats increases with repeated use, and the other states that players can intentionally alter the composite bat. For now, youth baseball seems to be clear of the new changes. On December 30th, 2010, Little League officials announced a moratorium on using the bats in all divisions and during the Little League World Series |
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