USSSA Rule Change For 13U & 14U

Effective January 1, 2020, USSSA, a governing body for youth baseball, will adopt a rule requiring that all players 13u players must swing a bat with no lighter than a drop-8 length-to-weight ratio and 14u players must swing a bat no lighter than a drop-5.

This USSSA rule will not be effective immediately, but will go in place to begin the 2020 calendar year. 

The following is a statement released by USSSA Baseball:

“13U Bat Standard Changes Starting January 1, 2020, our 13U division will have a new bat limit. A maximum of drop 8 (-8) will be the new bat restriction for the 13U age group. This will only apply to 13U events and teams playing in 13U events. See USSSA rule below. Effective January 1st, 2020, all13U events and all teams in 13U events must use a maximum drop 8 (-8) bat with the official USSSA 1.15 BPF Mark permanently stamped. All 14U events and all teams in the 14U events must use a maximum drop 5 (-5) bat with the official USSSA 1.15 BPF Mark permanently stamped.”

What is a Drop Weight?

The “drop” of a bat is simply the difference between the length and weight of a bat. This allows for consistency across all lengths of models. The larger the number, the lighter the bat. The smaller the number, the heavier the bat. For reference, high school and college players are required to swing a -3 model. This is the heaviest size of bat that is widely manufactured.

Example:

If you have a 30” bat with a drop-8 length-to-weight ratio, then you know the bat will weigh 22 ounces. This is because you subtract the drop from the length to get the weight.

30” (bat length) - 8 (drop) = 22 ounces (bat weight)

Will Any Players Receive Exceptions?

No. Regardless of their age, if a player is playing in a 13u or 14u event they will be required to swing the appropriately “dropped” bat.

As always, JustBats strives to be a leading source of new baseball information. We appreciate that many of our customers turn to us for this type of information. We would like to stress that this is a new rule and we will update this blog if any new information is released. If you have any questions please contact us at 866-321-2287 or via email at experts@justbats.com.

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