Governing Bodies

Softball Regulating Bodies

When you receive your new bat, one of the first things you do is probably inspect it. During your softball bat inspection process, you probably notice some acronyms like ASA, USSSA, ISA, NSA and WBSC. These are letters identifying the governing bodies that certify that this bat is acceptable for play in a given league or tournament sanctioned by the association. There are roughly 20 governing bodies in softball which may be easily recognizable. There are, however, five which are considered the major softball governing bodies. These five are the:

Even though these governing bodies may follow similar guidelines and rules each governing body is separate from the others. Therefore, you must adhere to that specific governing body pending your league or tournament play. No matter what governing body you play under there are more similarities than differences. Every organization has a set of rules which promote consistent, fair, and safe play. One of the most interesting differences is in the certification of bats.

USSSA and NSA also test bats for certification. Those associations use a test developed by Dr. Brant, a physics professor at New York University. This test, as attested by many players, allows for greater ball acceleration off the bat. On the field, we might say these bats have more pop. Some people, possibly erroneously, have referred to these softball bats as 100+ mph bats.

Easily Find Your League Approved Bat Here!

To get more detailed information on the certification procedures, you can access the individual governing bodies’ websites or contact them directly. On these websites, you can also find information on bats that are certified and those that are not approved for play in a particular association:

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