Rule 1.10 of the Little League Rule Book governs legal bats for all Little Leagues around the globe. Beginning with the 2018 Spring Season, Little League International has adopted the USA Baseball bat standard, and bats marked with the BPF 1.15 standard are no longer legal for Little League play in any division. The picture above shows a brief overview of the new bat standards for each division of play. For a full overview, please visit the Little League International website.
Penalty for Illegal Bat – Rule 6.06(d)
The batter is out for illegal action when the batter enters the batter’s box with one or both feet entirely on the ground with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat prior to the next player entering the batter’s box. The ball is dead. Runners must return if they advanced on the play.
Note: If the infraction is discovered before the next player enters the batter’s box following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat:
The manager of the defense may advise the plate umpire of a decision to decline the penalty and accept the play.
- For the first violation, the offensive team will lose one eligible adult base coach for the duration of the game. Any adult coach in the dugout may be used as the one adult base coach for the duration of the game.
- For the second violation, the manager of the team will be ejected from the game. Any subsequent violation will result in the newly designated manager being ejected.
When an illegal bat is discovered, it MUST be removed from the game at that point.