In anticipation of funding approval by the Executive Committee, the NCAA Softball Rules Committee determined a preliminary course of action for bat-compliance testing in 2007 during its annual meeting in Portland, Oregon, July 11-14.

"Our goal is to use the opportunity to test bats to ensure that the performance of the bats being used in the collegiate game does not exceed the performance standards anticipated in laboratory and during certification testing," said Christi Wade, committee chair and head softball coach and senior woman administrator at Saint Leo University.

If approved by the Executive Committee in August, the $30,000 program will test about 30 bats annually. During the first year, the committee intends to test bats from teams at finals sites in all divisions as they are eliminated from championships. Bats would either be returned to the team or individual after testing or replaced.

"The program is meant to take a look at all bats — not just those used at the Division I level," Wade said. "Bats used at Divisions II and III sometimes represent smaller companies that do not have team contracts, so it is important that we are looking at all divisions."

The committee does not plan to release information about testing results to the institutions, at least not in 2007.

"The compliance testing will give us information to help make future decisions and to ensure that the bats indeed are meeting the certification standard set by the ASA (Amateur Softball Association) and adopted by the NCAA," Wade said. "It is important that everyone knows that this is not our intention to be targeting teams."

More information about compliance testing will be mailed to coaches once funding and logistics have been finalized.

Rules proposals

The committee also acted on rules-change proposals during the annual meeting

All proposals approved by the committee must be reviewed and approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel at the end of August before being finalized and incorporated in the rules book.

One proposal would let conferences establish a travel policy that would allow a game to end before the completion of seven innings, as long as it is regulation. The proposal, similar to a rule adopted this year in baseball, recognizes that flights and institutional driving policies may limit the ability to conclude games as desired, especially when weather is a factor.

"It is ideal to play each game to completion," Wade said. "When the circumstances force institutions to decide between finishing the last inning or making a flight, it is important that both teams understand the protocol in advance."

Many conferences already have established policies. Next year the committee will examine issues related to extending the travel policy to nonconference games, if necessary.

In another action involving bats, all bats used in the game will be required to bear the ASA 2004 seal, which includes any bat manufactured since 2002. The ASA 2000 seal no longer will be grandfathered.

It is unlikely that bats manufactured before 2002 are still being used in the game. The ASA 2000 testing standard was conducted at slower speeds, which are not appropriate to the current game.

The committee amended duties of the on-site administrator to include the safe passage of umpires between the field and their dressing room and/or vehicles between and after games. Threatening situations have occurred, resulting in consideration of umpires’ safety.

Rules about players’ equipment will be modified to allow headbands of any color to be worn, without requiring the same color for all team members. Bandannas are still prohibited. Also, any player on the field may wear a mitt or glove. The catcher’s mitt or glove may be of any size, but other players must wear a mitt or glove that meets the size specifications listed in the rules book.

Also related to equipment, the rule governing use of electronic equipment such as video cameras will be clarified to allow student-athletes or team personnel to turn a camera on or off as needed between innings, without rendering themselves ineligible to participate in the game. Players and non-uniformed personnel may be outside of the team area for the purpose of videotaping, recording pitch speeds or charting pitches, but are not eligible to participate in the remainder of the game.

In another action, the lineup card will be required for the first time to list the first and last name of the head coach. Furthermore, the lineup card must specify which co-head coach, if applicable, is the designated head coach for the game.

A complete list of rules-change proposals will be mailed to coaches and conference commissioners at the beginning of August, and comments about the proposals to be considered by PROP will be accepted until August 21.

Other proposals: