The bat must be a baseball bat which meets the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat) as adopted by Little League. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick, and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat).
Beginning with the 2018 season, non-wood and laminated bats used in the Little League (Majors) and below, Intermediate (50-70) Division, Junior League divisions, and Challenger division shall bear the USA Baseball logo signifying that the bat meets the USABat – USA Baseball’s Youth Bat Performance Standard. All BPF – 1.15 bats will be prohibited beginning with the 2018 season. Additionally, starting in 2018, the bat diameter shall not exceed 2⅝ inches for these divisions of play. Bats meeting the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard may also be used in the Intermediate (50-70) Division and Junior League divisions.
It shall not be more than 34″ inches in length; nor more than 2⅝ inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenths (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30″) at its smallest part. Wood bats taped or fitted with a sleeve may not exceed eighteen (18) inches from the small end. NOTE 1: Solid one-piece wood barrel bats do not require a USA Baseball logo.
Bat Marking or Certification
Legal or Illegal
Discussion
Illegal for Little League play
This is the standard for AAU travel ball and will give a hitter a HUGE advantage over USABat certified or BBCOR bats. It also makes it less comfortable for base umpires to work inside the infielders given the increased exit velocities. The BPF stands for Bat Performance Factor, and any bat that is BPF 1.15 is illegal. BPF 1.20 bats are softball bats and are illegal for baseball too.
Legal for Little League play
This is the Little League standard since 2018 and has been created to mirror the exit velocity of a wood bat.
Bat Marking or Certification
Legal or Illegal
Discussion
These are legal to use for the 50-70 Intermediate division and the Juniors division and required for the Seniors division
This is the standard for middle school, high school, and college level baseball. These are only “Drop 3,” which means the weight in ounces is 3 less than the length in inches. These are heavy bats that are designed to mirror the exit velocity performance of wood, but the performance is a bit better.
These are illegal
BESR is an old standard for high school and college. These have been replaced by BBCOR. They have so much power and exit velocity that players still use them in the college home run derby (with no bat rules) for 450 foot plus home runs.
