Questions at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Convention December 4-7 in St. Petersburg, Florida, have led the NCAA Softball Rules Committee to make further changes to the banned-bat protest procedure to be used during the 2003 season.

"We never intended for the procedure to be an opportunity to question a bat in any sense other than whether it was on the banned-bat list," said Kathy Veroni, head coach at Western Illinois University and chair of the rules committee. "We heard from coaches that the possibility was there to second-guess an umpire's opinion even if he or she believed the bat was legal. Therefore, we have eliminated that option."

In the initial information presented by the committee, a coach could protest a bat when the umpire believed it was legal, and the bat would have to be sent to the secretary-rules editor, Dee Abrahamson, for review. Now, a protest situation is possible only when the umpire believes the bat to be illegal.

Although it isn't a change, the rules committee is emphasizing that, as in any other protest situations, the coach could choose not to protest the game.

For instance, if an illegal bat was discovered in the hands of the game's first batter, a coach might believe that no advantage was gained (because the batter would be called out for the rules infraction) and choose to move on with the game without a protest.

The committee also clarified the situation in which the umpire discovers an illegal bat during the course of the game. The umpire will call the runner out, nullify any advance by baserunners and ask if the offended coach would like to file a protest, which could result in forfeiture.

"We want to make this rule as easy as possible for our umpires and coaches," said Abrahamson, who also is an associate athletics director at Northern Illinois University. "If the umpire discovers a bat on the banned-bat list, he or she will just treat the situation such as he or she would any illegal bat and follow the process from that point."

To help with understanding the process, the committee noted three principles of the procedure. First, there can't be a forfeit situation unless the banned bat was used in the game. The umpire must agree that the bat is on the banned list before any paperwork is required or before the bat would need to be submitted to the secretary-rules editor. Also, as with any protest procedure, the opposing coach doesn't have to protest the game.

"A forfeit isn't ever ideal," Abrahamson said. "Yes, you don't lose the game, but you also don't win. Plus, you don't have any game statistics. That might be significant for a student-athlete who pitched a no-hitter or batted an apparent school or conference record."

Frequently asked questions

Q How do I access the banned bat list?

A The ASA's Web site can be found at www.softball.org. Click on the site map link on the front page, choose "certified equipment," then choose "bats" from the pull-down menu. The bat page will have a link to the banned-bat list as well as the approved-bat list. Choose banned bats (the approved list is about 15 printed pages and too cumbersome).

The bats on the list with two asterisks (**) are authorized to be recertified. Bats that have been retooled and bear the recertification mark are then eligible for play.

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Q What if I arrive at the field and the host coach doesn't have the banned-bat list to provide for the game(s)?

A Although it is suggested that each coach print out his or her own list each Monday to avoid surprises during the pregame, the committee emphasizes using common sense in this situation. Here are some options to consider: Are you close enough to the office to go back and get the list? Is there someone in the office who can deliver the list to the field? Does anyone have a list from last week?

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Q What happens if all of my bats are on the banned list or being protested because the umpire believes the bats are illegal?

A It is important to diversify your team's bats to avoid this situation. If you have 15 bats of the same make and model, this is a possibility if the bat is banned during the season. If you have three or more different makes and models, it isn't likely to happen. In the unfortunate instance in which all the bats are banned, the game will be "no contest" if legal bats cannot be borrowed or purchased locally.

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Q Why can't the color of the banned bats be revealed?

A The look of each bat model changes annually, so the banned bat might have been orange last year, silver in 2001 and blue with red writing the year before.

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Q How is it possible that the list might be misinterpreted so a coach or umpire believes a bat is banned when it is not?

A Let's say there is a line of bats called RULES, and RULESXL is banned and RULESGO is not. Perhaps both bats have the RULES written prominently on the barrel, but in small letters underneath the large writing is the model -- XL or GO. It is possible that the model, which would indicate its legality, has been covered by a ball mark or cleat mark. Also, if a coach or umpire is not educated in the process, he or she may not know to read that bat carefully enough to determine the difference between the two bat models.

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Q Is the secretary-rules editor going to test the bats she receives?

A The secretary-rules editor will not be testing any bats. She will simply be comparing the bat to the banned-bat list. She does have access to information from manufacturers, though, to determine the legality of a bat that has model-number markings removed or covered.

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Q When will I get my protested bat back from the secretary-rules editor?

A The umpires are being asked to ship the bat as soon as possible after the contest (or within 72 hours) to the secretary-rules editor. She will return it as soon as possible, so the process will probably take four or five days to complete.

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Q Who will be notified of the result of the protest?

A The opposing coaches, athletics administrators and the umpire filing the paperwork will be informed of the outcome of the protest.

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Q What happens if a bat is not on the banned list on Monday but is banned midweek and put immediately on the list? And similarly, what if a bat is taken from a game on Saturday but by the time it is seen by the secretary-rules editor on Monday, it appears on the latest list?

A Bats will be judged based on the applicable Monday's banned-bat list regardless of when changes are made to the list. If a bat becomes banned during the shipping process, the secretary-rules editor will rule the bat legal at the time of the game but call the institution to notify them of the change in the bat status.

Conference call will address concerns

The NCAA Softball Rules Committee has scheduled a question-an answer conference call for 8 p.m. Eastern time, January 15.

Coaches or other interested persons who would like to inquire about the banned-bat protest procedures should call 913/981-5507 10 minutes before the call begins. The confirmation code is 448045.