Confiscating bats at tournament

[hotcorner]

This is the first time I've ever heard of this. DD hits ball and hurts player on other team who then has to be taken out of game due to injury (Maybe even to the hospital). In umpires judgement he can decide to confiscate bat to be tested to see if bat has been altered in any way. DD eventually gets bat back but maybe not for 14 days. My question to the tourney director was (1) does the bat in any way get damaged as a result of this testing? and (2) will we receive a replacement bat to use while our $260 bat is being tested? Their answer was "no" to both questions but I am kind of leary about what will happen to DD's bat during this testing period. Not to mention DD's confidence level when she can not swing the bat she is having such great success with.

[Judd]

And what happens if you dont turn over that bat?

[hotcorner]

I'm guessing your team would be told to withdraw from the tournament.

[Skarp]

Sort of pointless to have a rule with no workable enforcement mechanism. If the bat isn't doctored, I'd take it as a compliment. If it is, contact your attorney.

[Hitmechanic]

I'd tell you what would happen if someone tried to take my DD's bat, but "they" may send me back to training if I start making those kinds of posts.

[Demonboy]

He can confiscate a bat if he feels it has been altered. Didn't think he could take it to test to see if it was.Who is going to pay for this supposed test and who is going to do it? Bat testing is not cheap and there are only a couple of places in the country that do it. What sanctioning body was this tournament played under?

From ASA
4. Batting with an illegal bat:
B. If the bat is altered, the player is ejected from the game and the tournament. The bat is removed from the game....

Removing the bat for the remainder of the tournament is reasonable. However, any softball dork that thinks they're keeping my $260.00 anything for two weeks better think again.

[hotcorner]

He can confiscate a bat if he feels it has been altered. Didn't think he could take it to test to see if it was.
Who is going to pay for this supposed test and who is going to do it? Bat testing is not cheap and there are only a couple of places in the country that do it. What sanctioning body was this tournament played under?

From ASA
4. Batting with an illegal bat:
B. If the bat is altered, the player is ejected from the game and the tournament. The bat is removed from the game....

This was an NSA tournament in Virginia. I looked in the rule book and didn't see anything on confiscating bats. They stated that they would test to see if it was altered based on the injury alone. Spaz, do you know the extent of such tests?

[MTR]

http://www.asasoftball.com/about/asa_code.asp

Speaking ASA

Check 510.M.06

If the bat is believed to be altered in any way, ASA has the authority to take possession of the bat. And for all you folks who think this doesn't apply to you, good luck because YOU are the one who signed off on that authority.

There are a number of things which can be done to check the bat. If it is found to be legal, it is returned to the owner. If it is damaged during the testing, the owner will receive a new bat of a comparable or higher value (ASA's descretion). If the bat was found to be altered, the owner and/or team could receive a suspension up to 2 years.

[Skarp]

I looked in the rule book and didn't see anything on confiscating bats.

My initial answer was predicated on the assumption that they had actual authority, under the rules of the sanctioning body, to confiscate the bat for testing. Assuming that such authority under the rules does exist (and is published beforehand), and assuming further that a particular player refuses to comply, I would submit that the player should be banned from all future events held by that organization.

Nobody has a right to play. It's a privilege, and the privilege is granted with the explicit and implicit understanding that the rules of the sanctioning body will be adhered to. You can't partake in the benefits (i.e., play) and then decide on a case by case basis which rules you want to comply with. Doesn't work that way. Shouldn't work that way.

JMO

[bradrhod]

For NSA they have similar language.

http://www.playnsa.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=17