Illegal, Uncertified, Altered bats - penalties

Question
What is the difference between:  a banned bat,  an altered bat,  an illegal bat,  an uncertified bat  and a uncertified bat with an ASA  marking ?  What are the penalties ?  I am unsure about an uncertified bat having the same penalty as an altered bat.

Answer
Hi Kevin,

In ASA play a bat must now have a ASA cert mark and NOT be listed in the non-approved list OR must be included on the approved list.

Basically the easiest way if it has a stamp, the non-approved list is 24 bats right now, so if it's not on that list it's GTG.

1) A uncert bat has no ASA cert mark, we don't even consider it for play

2)a non approved bat w/ a stamp is listed as one of the 24 and can't be used

Penalty step into the box w/ 1 or 2 or be discovered using it, batter is out and ejected from the ASA tournament (or whatever penalty your league has for league play)

3) An altered bat is when the physical structure of a legal bat has been altered, ie shaving, rolling, some grips, etc.  Same penalty

4)An illegal bat does not meet the spec of an official softball bat, ie a baseball bat.  Penalty.. the batter is called out.

In all cases if we have a batted ball and if it is discovered before the next pitch, the batter is out (and ejected if 1-3) any outs made during the play stand and any surviving runners are returned to the bases they occupied at the time of the batted ball.

Mark