03/21/24 – NFHS Bat Compliance Update Warstic Bonesaber-3 Baseball Bat

March 21, 2024 Baseball Blog Updates

The KHSAA received the following from the NFHS office regarding the Warstic Bonesaber-3 Baseball Bat.

FOLLOW-UP CLARIFICATION FROM THE NFHS TO THE BELOW POST

For clarification, the Warstic Bonesaber -3 non-wood baseball bat with the factory handle wrapping is compliant.  However, please emphasize to your schools and umpires that the Warstic Bonesaber -3 baseball bat is a compliant non-wood baseball bat for high school varsity competition with factory handle wrapping.

Any baseball bat (wood or non-wood) from any bat manufacturer with a traditional or non-traditional knob is at risk of being rendered non-compliant when it is rewrapped in a manner that the wrapping is over the knob making the knob flush (level with) the handle. A simple solution to correct the non-compliant wrapped bat is to remove the existing wrapping and rewrap the handle.

The image of the red-wrapped bat below is an illegal bat because it was rewrapped
incorrectly. That wrapping eliminates the taper of the handle/knob so there is no discernable difference. The image of the blue-wrapped bat shows a compliant and correctly wrapped bat regardless of the knob shape or bat manufacturer.

Again, the NFHS is working with Warstic Sports management and they have committed to helping their customers better understand how to correctly rewrap their bats so they are not making their product unintendedly illegal per our rule (7-4-1).

ORIGINAL POST

The NFHS has received a considerable amount of communication and questions regarding the Warstic Bonesaber -3 baseball bat. Particularly how the bat’s knob is non-traditional and how some of the bat’s wrappings violate NFHS Baseball Rule 1-3-2b1 which reads, “Knob – The bat knob shall protrude from the handle. The knob may be molded, lathed, welded, or permanently fastened.”

Wrappings are permitted except those that cause the knob to become flush with the handle. A one-piece rubber knob and bat grip combination is illegal.” The Warstic Bonesaber -3 bat currently meets the BBCOR performance standard and is an NFHS-compliant non-wood baseball bat for high school varsity competition.

Many of the photos received show that third-party bat wrappings that have been added to the bat have been applied incorrectly which has caused the knob to be flush with the
handle, causing the bat to be illegal per NFHS Rules 1-3-5, which states, “Bats that are altered from the manufacturer’s original design and production, or that do not meet the rule specifications, are illegal (7-4-1a). No artificial or. . . of the umpire.”

NFHS Baseball Rule 7-4-1a states, “A batter is out when . . . a. the batter enters the batter’s box with an illegal bat (1-3-5) or is discovered having used an illegal bat. If the infraction is discovered before the next pitch following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat, the defense may take the penalty or the result of the play.”

The NFHS is working with Warstic Sports management and they have committed to helping their customers better understand how to correctly rewrap their bats so they are not making their product unintendedly illegal. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office. Thank you and have a great baseball season.

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 290 member schools, both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 229 state championships to 59 teams and 178 individuals in 13 sports and six sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 109,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials.