Bat Certification

Softball Canada does not currently have its own bat certification program. Please see the information below for the 2013 bat standards.

New ASA Bat Certification / Changes affecting Softball Canada
 
The ASA has released a new certification mark for 2013. The testing standards have changed on these new stamped bats which have resulted in a livelier bat than with the old 2000 or 2004 mark that is currently approved for Softball Canada play. Currently there are no new 2004 ASA stamped bats above the weight of 25oz available in Canada. Manufacturers have stopped making these bats. Also, there are no 2013 ASA (new stamp) bats available in Canada via a retailer so supplies in Canada are limited. There are some bats available in the USA. So moving forward, based on information gathered the past several months, Softball Canada is making the following recommendations and changes for the 2013 season.

Men`s Fast Pitch
• Any bat that appears on the ISF approved bat list and has an ISF certification stamp will be accepted for play at a Softball Canada event. Some bats may also have the 2000 or 2004 ASA certification mark which would also be acceptable for Fast Pitch.
• The bat must meet the compression standards outlined by the ISF and can be tested to ensure that they are in the proper range.
• The bat must still pass a visual inspection per the current Softball Canada rulebook
 
Women`s Fast Pitch
• All bats need to have either the 2000 or 2004 ASA stamp and not be on the ASA non-approved bat list
• All bats will still be subject to visual inspection prior to play and also can be compression tested to ensure they are still within the guidelines outlined by ASA
Please note that there is no ball change for 2013 in Fast Pitch.

Men`s and Women`s Slo-Pitch
• Any bat that appears on the ISF approved bat list and has an ISF certification stamp will be accepted for play at a Softball Canada event. Some bats may also have the 2000 or 2004 ASA certification mark which would also continue to be acceptable for Slo-Pitch play.
• The bat must meet the compression standards outlined by the ISF and can be tested to ensure that they are in proper range.
• The bat must still pass a visual inspection per the current Softball Canada rulebook

Please note that in Women’s play there is no changes recommended to the ball however, Softball Canada is recommending that all Slo-Pitch Men’s play should now use the 52 cor/275 lb compression Worth optic Hot Dot ball.

Also note that per our previous memo, Softball Canada will be supplying all the bats at the upcoming 2013 Senior Men’s and Women’s Canadian Slo-Pitch Championship.

Softball Canada is highly recommending that all Provincial/Territorial Softball Associations purchase a compression tester that will be able to provide accurate testing results. These results are important in maintaining that the bat remains within the approved standards. Without this compression test, there is no means of telling when a bat goes beyond the accepted measurements and becomes too lively.

For further information, please contact Mike Branchaud at mbranchaud@softball.ca.
 
 
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