Titanium & Composite Bats

Question
Dear Mark,

I have looked at the list, and have researched the science behind the composite bats.  I can not understand why they are legal; some of the "approved" composites still return the ball at  a speed 1.25 or better than the pitch.  I recognize this is not your forte'; is there another source I can try?

These bats, besides being dangerous, appear to be a technological advancement ( and advantage) that severely alters the game.  I'm not yet a fan, but find myself in a position where our team either joins the ranks of the titanium-owners, or drops out of the league.
And I'm uncertain as to what to tell parents- is a eleven-year old shortstop at risk because a line drive now has a bullet-like capacity?  If you think this comparison is an exageration, you should see some of these games!

Thanks again for your consideration.-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
We are on a 12u softball team, and are participating in a USSSA National Qualifier Tournament.  Today, for  the first time, we faced a team using titanium/composite bats.  We were under the impression that these bats were illegal because of the trampoline effect and the danger of increased speed.  Could you please tell me when they became legal and why?
For girls this age, it seems an unreasonable risk.....  Thank you.
-----Answer-----
Hi Susan,

I normally don't answer non ASA questions because other organizations are not my forte.  However because of this age group I made an exception to help you out.

USSSA does have a legal bat list based on their criteria.  Go to http://www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/LegalBats.asp and you can see the list.  If it's on the list it's legal for their play. If I were you I'd print it out for you next tournie.

I didn't see a "banned" list on their website (ASA uses both) to make it easy to tell if the bat is banned.

Mark

Answer
Good morning Susan,

I understand and agree  with what you are saying and I've seen the evolution of the game over the last 25 years.

No organization that I'm aware of has bats that are legal at some levels of play and not at others.  Either they are legal or banned at all levels of play.

I'm not sure what you mean by trying another source.  If you play USSSA you play by their rules, same as with ASA or NSA.  Some local leagues ban some legal bats in their league play but in tournie play the national rules apply.  You might want to go to the ASA website and compare their banned bats with legal bats in USSSA.  I do not know if there are any but if there are, especially in your area of concern you might want to consider looking for ASA tournies to play.

I would make your views known to every league and national org. you play in, other than that I guess you have to decide how far you're willing to go.

Mark