Rolling and Shaving Bats is ILLEGAL!

Again... to be as clear & simple as possible:

ROLLING or SHAVING a Bat is ILLEGAL! 

Both are considered cheating and we do NOT recommend these in any way! Ultimately they will result in:
  • Legal Action: If someone is injured while using an altered bat the owner of the bat, person in the batters box and person who altered the bat are liable for the outcome and can face charges for the damages.
  • Penalties for the Player, Owner of the Bat and/or Coach including ejection, a two to five year suspension and up to a lifetime ban!
  • You Immediately VOID the Manufacturer Warranty
  • You Drastically Lessen the Durability of Your Bat

If you are caught using a ROLLED or SHAVED bat you can receive an immediate Two (2) to Five (5) Year suspension from the governing association. If you are caught a second time you can receive a LIFETIME BAN from that association.

What are Rolling and Shaving?
  • Rolling is the process of compressing a composite bat between two rollers to accelerate the break-in period. Occasionally used with heat to losen the composite fibers, called Heat Rolling.
  • Shaving is the process of removing the bats end-cap and shaving the insides of the bat walls to make the bat walls thinner, giving the bat far more of a trampoline effect than legally and safely allowed.

So why do players Roll or Shave a Bat? Or more clearly why do they cheat? Quite simply they want an easy way to skip over all the hard work, dedication and patience that it takes to excel in baseball or softball.
 
Lets look at what the National Organizations have to say about Rolling and Shaving:

 

ASA / USA Softball (Including NCAA)

Rule 3 H - Altered Bat: An ASA Official Bat's characteristics shall remain fixed at the time of manufacture and may not be altered in any way other than specifically provided for in Rule 3, Section 1 or as specifically approved by the ASA. Approved bats shall be considered altered if they are rolled, shaved, repainted, weighted or modified to change their characteristics from that produced by the manufacturer. Identifying the bat by means of laser marking, engraving, or painting the name or number of the player will not make the bat an altered bat.

 

Article 310 N 07: Any person discovered using a non approved bat shall be ejected from the game and are subject to further action by the protest committee.

Article 305 E 04: A Player found in possession of an altered bat and found guilty according to Article 305 of this Code shall be suspended for a five ( 5 ) year minimum.

Article 305 E 05: Team discovered to have with in its possession or control of an altered bat may be suspended for a two ( 2 ) year minimum. 

 

NSA (National Softball Association)

Rule 3: An altered bat is considered altered when the physical structure of the legal bat has been changed in any way, or when an illegal or non-approved bat has been made up in such a way as to appear to be a legal bat. Examples of altering a bat are, but not limited to the following: Painting a bat, replacing the handle, rolling, compressing the bat in any way that is not done during the act of batting/hitting a softball or shaving the handle or barrel or the taper changed in any way such as by sandpapering or applying a solvent to the surface such as fingernail polish remover or by any other means, removing or replacing the plug or changed in any way other than factory repairs, had the knob removed/replaced or changed in any way or had anything removed or added to the inside or outside of the bat other than the legal way to tape the bat the specified and appropriate place as described in the NSA Rule Book.


The offending player(s) will have two choices only:

  1.  He/she can allow the NSA representative to inspect the bat or ball and the NSA representative can reach a conclusion as to whether the bat or ball may be altered or he/she can refuse to allow the representative to inspect the bat or ball and take an immediate five (5) year suspension from any and all NSA play with no right of appeal. In addition to the immediate five (5) year suspension by the offending player and/or team, failure to allow a site inspection of the bat or ball or failure to allow the bat or ball to be sent into the NSA National Headquarters for further inspection, will result in forfeit of the game in progress, and forfeiture of all remaining games in the tournament; WITH NO REFUND of entry fees.
  2. He/she may after allowing the NSA representative to inspect the bat or ball and the NSA Representative has decided that the bat or ball “could be” altered; the player may allow the director to send the bat or ball to the NSA National Headquarters for inspection. If the NSA National Headquarters decides that the bat or ball may be altered, the NSA will then send the bat or ball to the Manufacturer of the bat or ball for a final determination on whether the bat or ball is altered, or he/she can accept an immediate two (2) year suspension without the right of appeal.

 

USSSA

Rule 2 Section 2 E: Altered Bat Director Inspection and Suspension.
A USSSA Director may at any time ask to inspect a bat that has been brought into the location of a USSSA sanctioned event or any other USSSA facility. The owner and/or user may either:

  1. Withhold the bat from inspection and accept an immediate two year (automatic life for second time offenders under EI and/or E) suspension from USSSA sanctioned activities with no right to appeal; or,
  2. Allow the Director to inspect the bat and reach a conclusion as to whether or not the bat might be altered.
    EI. Altered Bat Determination by Altered Bat Committee Chairman or Manufacturer. If, after making the inspection of a potential altered bat, the Director in his discretion decides that the bat might be an altered bat, the suspected offending owner and/or user and may either:
    1. Withhold the bat from further examination by the USSSA Altered Bat Committee Chairman or Manufacturer of the bat and accept an immediate two year (up to life for second time offenders under sections E and/or EI) suspension from USSSA sanctioned activities with no right to appeal; or
    2. Allow the Director to send the bat to the USSSA Altered Bat Committee Chairman and/or Manufacturer of the bat for a determination as to whether or not the bat is altered. If the Manufacturer or the USSSA Altered Bat Committee Chairman determines that the bat has been altered, the Altered Bat Committee Chairman in consultation with the Director who inspected the bat at the USSSA facility may suspend a first time offender for up to five (5) years from USSSA play. For a second time offender under E and/or EI, any such suspension will be for to life.

     

    NFHS (Baseball)

    Section 3 ART. 5: Bats that are altered from the manufacturer’s original design and production, or that do not meet the rule specifications, are illegal (See 7-4-1a). No artificial or intentional means shall be used to control the temperature of the bat. No foreign substance may be inserted into the bat. Bats that are broken, cracked or dented or that deface the ball, i.e., tear the ball, shall be removed without penalty. A bat that continually discolors the ball may be removed from the game with no penalty at the discretion of the umpire.

    Section 1 ART. 3b: Prior to the start of the game, the umpire-in-chief shall receive verification from each head coach that his participants are properly equipped in accordance with NFHS rules. In addition, each coach shall verify that his participants are using only legal equipment, including bats and balls that are unaltered from the manufacturer's original design and production and that meet the provisions of 1-3-1 and 1-3-2, and helmets that meet the provisions of 1-5-1 and are free of cracks and damage.

    Section 4 ART. 1a: A batter is out when: the batter enters the batter’s box with an illegal bat (see 1-3-5) or is discovered having used an illegal bat. If the infraction is discovered before the next pitch following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat, the defense may take the penalty or the result of the play;

    PENALTY: On the first violation of 4-1-3b for entering the box with an illegal bat, the penalty for an illegal bat is applied (7-4-1a) and the head coach shall be restricted to the bench/dugout for the remainder of the game. On the second violation for entering the box with an illegal bat,the penalty for an illegal bat is applied and the head coach shall be ejected. On subsequent violations for entering the box with an illegal bat, the penalty for an illegal bat is applied and the designated head coach shall be ejected. On detected violations of 4-1-3b for the use of a damaged helmet, the helmet shall be immediately removed from play.

    NOTE: The NFHS has been advised that certain manufacturers consider alteration, modification and "doctoring" of their bats to be unlawful and subject to civil and, under certain circumstances, criminal action.

     

    NFHS (Softball)

    Section 5 ART 1c: The Bat Shall: Be free of rattles, dents, burrs, cracks and sharp edges. Bats that are broken, altered or that deface the ball are illegal. Materials inside the bat or treatments/devices used to alter the bat specifications and/or enhance performance (e.g., shaving, rolling or artificially warming the bat barrel) are prohibited and render the bat illegal.

    Section 4 ART 2: The Batter is Out: The batter enters the batter's box with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat and the infraction is detected before the next legal or illegal pitch (only the umpire or defense may detect an illegal bat).

    PENALTY: The ball is dead immediately. All runners must return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. When the illegal bat is an altered or non approved bat, the batter and head coach are also ejected. Runners would not return if they were put out on the play.

     

     Why are Rolled and Shaved Bats Advertised?

    There is only one place that rolled or shaved bat MAY be allowed to be used and that is in Home Run Derbies. It is still up to the organizer of the event if they will allow them. The reason being is in a Home Run Derby there are no Defenders in the Field! Rolled or Shaved Bats should NEVER be used in any sanctioned league or tournament play.