Recently we have 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 violates 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 we have received in our office shows 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.”
We are working with Warstic Sports management and they have committed to help 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.
