Equipment
Sparta Little League provides batting helmets, bats, catchers gear, pitching machines, and baseballs/softballs/tee balls. It is common for players to bring their own equipment to practice and games. While that is accepted and encouraged, please be aware that Little League International has requirements for bats. The requirements are below:
LITTLE LEAGUE BAT REQUIREMENTS
RULE 1.10 – BASEBALL
The bat must be a baseball bat which meets the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat) as adopted by Little League. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick, and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat).
TEE BALL:
Under the USABat standard, certified Tee Ball bats (26″ and shorter) will feature the USA Baseball mark and text which reads ONLY FOR USE WITH APPROVED TEE BALLS. All Tee Ball bats must feature the USA Baseball mark and accompanying text. Tee Ball bats that were produced and/or purchased prior to the implementation of the new standard can be certified using an Approved Tee Ball Sticker via the USA Baseball Tee Ball Sticker Program (USABaseballShop.com) beginning September 1, 2017.
NOTE: Approved Tee Ball bats may also be used for Coach Pitch/Machine Pitch Divisions only with the use of approved Tee Balls.
BASEBALL BAT CHART |
| Coach Pitch, Minors & Majors | USA Baseball marking
2 5/8” barrel maximum
*Approved Tee Ball bats may be used in coach pitch/machine pitch divisions only with the use of approved tee balls. |
| Intermediate (50/70) & Junior | USA Baseball markingorBBCOR marking
2 5/8” barrel maximum |
| Senior | ALLbats must be BBCOR |
RULE 1.10 – SOFTBALL
The bat must be a softball bat which meets Little League specifications and standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or a material tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards. The bat shall be no more than 33 inches (34 inches for Junior/Senior League) in length, not more than two and one-quarter (2¼) inches in diameter, and if wood, not less than fifteen-sixteenth (15/16) inches in diameter (7/8 inch for bats less than 30 inches) at its smallest part. Non-wood bats shall be printed with a BPF (bat performance factor) of 1.20. Bats may be taped or fitted with a sleeve for a distance not exceeding 16 inches from the small end. Colored bats are acceptable. A non-wood bat must have a grip of cork, tape or composition material, and must extend a minimum of 10 inches from the small end. Slippery tape or similar material is prohibited.
An illegal or altered bat must be removed.