NEW BAT RESTRICTIONS FOR 2012 AND BEYOND

Bat Performance Factor ("BPF") is the standard for bat safety. BPF is a measure of a non-wood bat's performance relative to wood bats. Most non-wood bats manufactured over the past year or 2 have been permanently imprinted with the BPF on the taper of the bat. To comply with the new regulation, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2012, non-wood bat must (1) display a BPF of 1.15 or less or (2) be a qualified BBCOR bat or (3) be a wood bat in order to be legal for Metro sanction play for ages 14U and younger.

Note: BBCOR – Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution - This is the new, more-accurate test that is replacing BESR. Like BESR, it is used to ensure that aluminum and composite bats play similarly to wood bats, but it also accounts for how bats perform after they’ve been broken in.