Important 2020 Baseball Rule Updates
NOCSAE Chest Protectors
As of Jan 1st, 2020 New Chest Protectors are Required for High School (NFHS) Baseball and as of Jan 1st, 2021 required for NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Baseball.
No Changes are being made for Fastpitch Softball or Youth Baseball (Little League, Travel, USSSA, etc.)
NOCSAE Approved Chest Protectors will have the following logo on them.
Why is this change happening? Commotio Cordis.
Commotio Cordis is a syndrome that results from a blunt impact to the chest that leads to cardiac arrest. It is a poorly recognized and under reported event that happens to healthy young athletes as a result of a low-energy (roughly a 40mph baseball), non-penetrating blow to the chest.
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NOCSAE Approved Baseballs
As of Jan 1st, 2020 New Baseballs are Required for High School (NFHS) Baseball Official Play. There are no changes to the Ball itself but it must have the NOCSAE Stamp as well as the NFHS stamp to be legal for play.
NCAA White BBCOR Bat Ban
As of Jan 1st, 2020 the NCAA is no longer allowing white bats in College Baseball. This is a safety concern that will allow pitchers to pick up the ball earlier off the bat—assuming its coming right back at him.
This white bat ban is NOT FOR HIGH SCHOOL (NFHS) or any other Sanctions, ONLY NCAA.
The rule applies to every bat. So, even older models will be retroactively made illegal.
Rule 1.12.b.7: Requires that the baseball bat barrel color between the 18-inch mark and the end cap (the hitting area) must be a color(s) that is predominantly contrasting to the color of the baseball.
Prohibited BBCOR Bat List Updated as of Feb 4, 2020. Check Here for More updates: NCAA Rules
Prohibited NCAA BBCOR Baseball Bats
USSSA 13u Bat Requirements
13u Division Receives a New Bat Limit: Beginning January 1, 2020 all 13u events and all Teams in 13u events must use a maximum of drop 8 (-8) bat with the official USSSA 1.15 BPF mark permanently stamped. All 14u events and all Teams in 14u events must use a maximum of drop 5 (-5) bat with the official USSSA 1.15 BPF mark permanently stamped.
What does this mean? 13u must now use a Drop 8 (-8), Drop 5 (-5) or BBCOR (-3) Bat. You CANNOT use a Drop 9 (-9) or lighter bat!
Penalty: (First Offense) If the Umpire discovers that a bat does not conform to USSSA Rule 7.01.C until a time during or after which the bat has been used in play, it shall not be grounds for declaring the batter out and/or ejection from the game. If the Umpire discovers that a bat has been used to put a ball in play and before the next legal pitch, the defensive team shall have the choice of the result of the play or the batter being called out and all runners returning to the base occupied at the time of the pitch. (Second Offense) If a team is found in violation of this rule a second time, then the manager shall be ejected in addition to the First Offense penalty.