Why don't we use college balls in these showcases?

[Goldball4]

Been wondering this for awhile now, like I'm sure many of you have. But if we are going to have these tournies in front of all these coaches, why not show what they can do with their ball? So they can get a real look at how the girls hit with that rock! Just wondering.

[DBLUE]

That's a great question. We've all seen the rocks that colleges play with. Why don't we use these balls in all these showcases? Is it a money thing? Does anyone know, or have we just not thought about doing this before?

[winginit]

Sounds like I need a college education, I was not aware of a ball change for college play. What is the difference from the ball used in travel ball?

[winginit]

Wow Spazdad - you da man!

Thanks

[MTR]

ASA ball .47 COR/375 comp
NCAA ball .47 COR/400 comp

Softballs are rated based on two metrics - Coefficient Of Restitution (COR - pronounced like core) and compression. COR represents how "bouncy" the ball is. The higher the COR, the more bouncy the ball is and, generally, the farther it will fly. COR is the percentage of reduction in speed for a ball bouncing off a wall. If a ball is thrown at a wall at 80 miles per hour and bounces off at 40 miles per hour, the speed has been reduced by 50%. The ball would be rated with a COR of .50 (referred to as a fifty COR ball). If your league plays with a .44 COR ball, the speed bouncing off the wall would be 35 miles per hour.

Softball compression is a measure of how hard a softball is. The higher the compression, the harder the ball, and generally, the farther it will fly. Compression is measured by how many pounds of force are needed to squeeze two sides of the ball in by a total of one-quarter of an inch. If a test shows that it takes 375 pounds of force to squeeze the ball by one-quarter inch, the ball is certified as a 375 pound compression ball. The ASA has only approved two levels of compression - 375 pounds and 525 pounds. 375 pound balls are softer than 525's. The ASA "rounds up" to assign the compression rating. For example, if the test shows it only takes 325 pounds of force to achieve the one-quarter inch squeeze, the ball will be rated as a 375 compression ball. This means your league may be playing with a ball rated as 375 compression, but it is really softer than a true 375 compression ball because of the "rounding up."

Testing has shown two main things as it relates to softball COR and compression and on-field performance. First, a change from a .47 COR, 525 pound ball to a .44 COR, 375 pound ball decreases performance by up to 6%. All other things being equal, this means that a 305 foot home run using a .47 COR, 525 pound ball would be a 290 foot fly out using a .44 COR, 375 pound ball. Second, reductions in compression have a much greater impact in on-field performance than reductions in COR.

Great post. A few clarifications. ASA only recognizes two levels of compression: 300 lbs & under, and 300-375 lbs. Nothing over 375. This can be found in Rule 3.3.

Also, the testing and markings are placed on the ball by the manufacturer and randomly tested by ASA. It really does not benefit the manufacturer to produce low and mark high as it will affect sales if the players are not happy with the ball.

[MTR]

That's a great question. We've all seen the rocks that colleges play with. Why don't we use these balls in all these showcases? Is it a money thing? Does anyone know, or have we just not thought about doing this before?

Or is could be a liability thing. Since NCAA is not a sanctioning body, these showcases are usually conducted under the code and rules set of one of the sanctioning bodies. Unless that rule set has the same ball specs as the NCAA, there could be a problem if a player is injured by a batted ball.