National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

July 21, 1997

Baseball committee delays action on bat weight, length

With independent scientific research into the performance of baseball bats and baseballs currently underway, the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee has voted to delay any action on reducing the length-to-weight ratio of bats until it has reviewed the final report from the Association's scientific consultant.

Joseph J. "Trey" Crisco III, director of the bioengineering laboratory at Rhode Island Hospital-Brown University and project director for the NCAA Research Program on Bat and Ball Performance, met with the committee at its July 8-11 meeting in Snowmass Village, Colorado. Crisco presented an outline of his progress to date and said he expects to complete the research this fall. He intends to publish the final research data in a special section of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics.

In the meantime, the rules committee has notified baseball bat manufacturers of Crisco's interest in sharing his research procedures and preliminary test data with all interested parties. The committee noted that manufacturers interested in providing additional data related to the research project should contact Crisco as soon as possible.

The committee expected to receive Crisco's final report by July 1; however, some researchers experienced unexpected delays while trying to evaluate the effects that bat mass and the placement of mass on the bat have on swing-speed velocity.

"While this unexpected delay is unfortunate, the committee is empathetic to the complex task undertaken by the researchers," said Bill Rowe Jr., director of athletics at Southwest Missouri State University and chair of the rules committee. "The committee is confident that Dr. Crisco and his research team will provide high-quality, unbiased test results, allowing the committee an unprecedented look at the comparisons of nonwood vs. wooden bats, and proper testing procedures for baseballs. To our knowledge, this type of research never has been published."

In August 1996, the NCAA Executive Committee approved a recommendation from the rules committee to allow a maximum baseball bat length-to-weight differential of 2.5 (without the grip) for all nonwood bats used during the 1998 intercollegiate baseball season, subject to the results of Crisco's research program and a six-month comment period from all interested parties.

During a February 25, 1997, conference call, the rules committee voted to delay final action on reducing the unit differential of bats until after it receives the final report of the independent research. The current rule, which allows for a five-unit differential (34-inch, 29-ounce bat), will remain in effect through at least the 1998 season.

The committee also agreed that the current interim bat performance standard -- the 1.14 Bat Performance Factor with a margin of error of .01, will remain in effect for the 1998 season.

In a related matter, the committee voted to revise the wool-content specification for the 1998 NCAA championship baseball, the Wilson A1001. After consulting with Crisco and reviewing extensive test data, the committee altered the specification from 85 percent virgin wool to a ball with gray and white wool windings. The ball will have three winds -- gray, white and gray -- and is expected to perform nearly identical to the 1997 championship ball. The committee, working with Wilson, will review the performance of the ball on a monthly basis beginning this fall.

Another rule related to the baseball that was voted on by the committee in 1996 will go into effect in 1998. Beginning next season, all baseballs used during the regular season shall not exceed a maximum coefficient of restitution (COR) of .555, which is the maximum limit of the NCAA championship baseball. This is the first regular-season ball performance standard in college baseball history.

Other highlights

Baseball Rules Committee
July 8-11/Snowmass Village, Colorado

  • Met with Dave Yeast, NCAA national coordinator of umpires, and reviewed the format, goals and accomplishments of the NCAA National Umpire Program.

  • Revised Rule 1-3-a in the NCAA Baseball Rules so that it is mandatory to line the complete batter's box before every game. Players, coaches and umpires will be prohibited from deliberately erasing the batter's box lines. In a related action, the committee added an approved ruling to Rule 7-1-e stating that if the lines of the batter's box have been erased, it is the umpire's responsibility to ensure that upon a batter's initial stance, both feet are no closer than six inches from the inside edge of home plate.

  • Rewrote the second approved ruling for the definition of interference so that if it is the first play on a batter-runner who has not touched first base at the time of interference, all runners shall return to the base last occupied at the time of the pitch. Otherwise, runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of interference.

  • Amended Rule 3-6-b so that umpires have the authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in the rules book.

  • Revised the last sentence in Rule 3-6-c A.R. 2 to read: "Failure to abide by this ruling shall result in the individual being forced to leave the ballpark. If the individual refuses to leave, the game shall be forfeited."

  • Added a new Rule 3-8-d so that base umpires and coaches shall require players to remain in the dugout or in dead-ball territory while the ball is in play. After a warning for a first offense, one individual will be ejected for a second offense.

  • Added a new Rule 3-10 (Use of Tobacco Products), which prohibits the use of all tobacco products for student-athletes and game personnel (including coaches, umpires, trainers, managers) during practice and competition. The penalty is disqualification for the remainder of the practice or ejection from a contest.

  • Rewrote Rule 5-6-c so that double-headers may be scheduled as two nine-inning games, a seven-inning game and a nine-inning game, or two seven-inning games.

  • Revised Rule 5-7-a-(3) so that seven-inning games only can be scheduled as part of a double-header and by mutual agreement. All single games shall be nine innings or meet the requirements of Rule 5-7-a.

  • Added Rule 5-7-a-(4) (12-run "mercy" rule) so that by mutual consent by the competing teams before the game or by conference rule, a game can be stopped only after seven innings if one team is ahead by at least 12 runs.

  • Added spitting to the physical abuse list in Rule 5-15-a.

  • Added an approved ruling to Rule 8-4-a-(2) so that if a runner goes into a base standing up and does not make contact or alter the play of the defensive player, interference shall not be called. If a runner goes into a base standing up and is safe or out but makes contact with or alters the play of the defensive player, interference shall be called.

  • Added a new Rule 9-2-d so that a pitcher who is not in contact with the rubber can go to the mouth with the fingers while on the dirt area; however, the pitcher must wipe off the fingers before pitching.