NVCLL Family,
I have received 3 emails in the past few days asking if it was true that I (and the NVCLL Board) were banning certain bats (2 of the emails specifically asked about Mako bats). THIS IS NOT TRUE - NVCLL is not banning any bats ... BUT ...
Little League International, along with EVERY OTHER YOUTH BASEBALL ASSOCIATION, has decided that as of 1/1/2018 all bats must comply with the new 'USA BASEBALL' standard.
The issue is that as of right now, no bats comply with this standard. Bats complying with this standard are not scheduled to enter manufacturing until 2017.
In summation, in 2018 every bat that is used or available for sale right now will be banned by every youth baseball association in the US, not by NVCLL. Today's bats cannot be used (as of Jan 1, 2018) in Little League, Cal Ripken, travel baseball or any other youth baseball organization.
Here is the link to LLI's page on bats:
http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/baseballbatinfo.htm
And here is their press release:
With the Little League® International Board of Directors formally adopting USA Baseball’s new standard for bat performance testing, Little League International fully supports this program. For more than seventy-five years, Little League has used improvements in science, engineering, and technology to take the sport of baseball to higher levels. By utilizing the most current advancements available, manufacturers can now develop bats with a wood-like performance, which is important for the long-term success of the game. Developed by a USA Baseball committee of scientific experts, Little League Baseball® has decided to adopt the new bat standard for mandated use effective January 1, 2018. All national members of USA Baseball, including Little League, are encouraged to adopt this new standard. Little League-approved bats can be used through December 31, 2017, and our current bat regulations will be in effect until then. That includes the moratorium prohibiting the use of all 2 ¼ inch barrel baseball bats constructed with composite material in the barrel, unless approved. Visit LittleLeague.org for detailed information. Little League looks forward to working with USA Baseball, and will begin educating our local leagues, and the parents of our 2.1 million baseball players, preparing them for the important change coming in 2018.
Very limited information is available on this, as the change is still a couple years away. If you are bat shopping, however, you should take into account that bats currently for sale are only able to be used through the 2017 season.
NVCLL will update everybody as LLI updates us.
Christopher Bangs
2014-2016 NVCLL President