Gameday! Fall Ball Battle Series Begins Tonight!!

[White River]

Bottom post of the previous page:

reference the varsity app, is it just called varsity, or something after that.

The Varsity Network

[ousbfan]

thank you white river

[inconnu]

Is it time yet for the new required squishy, softer softballs, or is that next year?

[cushcreekmont]

1.) I'd like to see Geurin and Deal get a bunch of pitches.
2.) Pickering and Parker get a bunch of swings.
3.) A thorough try-out for SS (over several series, not just one).
4.) A capacity crowd that is loud and rowdy....big energy.
5.) See a loose and joyful Patty Gasso smiling and clapping and over the moon.

From what I saw on the ondemand play on +, you got all 5 wishes.

[cushcreekmont]

It is always difficult to tell how good a team is when playing itself. 3 homeruns looks good except for the pitchers. Jennings struck out (a rarity) so that looked good FOR the pitchers.

Just like spring football, autumn SB has some interesting notes, but nothing huge.

[White River]

Is it time yet for the new required squishy, softer softballs, or is that next year?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (August 19, 2021) – New specifications for the softball will go into effect in NCAA softball in the 2024 season. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel also approved implementing video review and allowing coaches to have two video review challenges beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

The softball specifications will be standardized with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Softball at a maximum compression of 275-375 pounds. The specifications take effect January 1, 2024 with a goal of improving inventory availability and assisting in cost containment.

[1KCSoonerFan]

Is a 275 to 375 compression range softer than the current rating? Is there a wide amount of variance between 'standards' in existence today? Will a new ball change the game much? Has Coach made any comments about this change?

I never thought about the ball itself very much. I knew bats had some rules on them. Standardization Keeps everything fair and square, IMO.

[inconnu]

Is it time yet for the new required squishy, softer softballs, or is that next year?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (August 19, 2021) – New specifications for the softball will go into effect in NCAA softball in the 2024 season. The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel also approved implementing video review and allowing coaches to have two video review challenges beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

The softball specifications will be standardized with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Softball at a maximum compression of 275-375 pounds. The specifications take effect January 1, 2024 with a goal of improving inventory availability and assisting in cost containment.

Thanks, WR. I don't remember seeing them give a rationale for softening up the softballs until reading that which you posted here: saving money, because of losing balls that go over the fence. I wonder whose bright idea that was, to slow down the game.

[White River]

Mim and Max compression will change by 25lbs. I'm not sure how much distance of travel that will make. Here's more information than you probably want to know.

2022-2023 Rules
3.2 Ball 3.2.1. The ball shall be an optic yellow sphere with raised red thread seams. It shall have a polycore center. The cover shall be smooth and made of chrome tanned, top-grain horsehide or cowhide. It shall be affixed to the core by cement and sewn with waxed cotton or linen thread by the two-needle method with not fewer than 88 stitches per cover. The ball shall meet the following specifications. Minimum circumference: 11⅞ inches; maximum circumference: 12¼ inches; Minimum weight: 6½ ounces; maximum weight: 7 ounces; Maximum COR (coefficient of restitution): .47; Maximum compression: 350 ±50; and Maximum dynamic stiffness: 7,500 pounds per square inch

2024 Rules
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel has approved new specifications for the softball that will go into effect in NCAA softball in the 2024 season. The softball specifications will be standardized with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Softball at a maximum compression of 275-375 pounds. The specifications take effect January 1, 2024 with a goal of improving inventory availability and assisting in cost containment

Compression and COR
The compression of a softball refers to the amount of force needed to compound the ball a quarter of an inch. Typically, the more force needed to compress the ball (aka higher compression) means that the ball you are using will be harder by nature, potentially causing more trampoline effect on a softball bat’s barrel and adding more distance in your hits.
The COR (or Coefficient Of Restitution) of a softball indicates how much energy is retained by the ball after it deflects off of a solid, immovable object (like a wall). Another way to think of it is that COR measures the “bounciness” of a ball. Generally speaking, balls with higher COR ratings will have a lower compression rating and cannot compress a softball bat barrel very well. Thus, high COR balls won’t allow for the furthest hit balls (think about the USA slow pitch 52 COR/300 Compression balls). One will most often find that the COR and compression of a softball will work inversely to one another.

[inconnu]

I envision lots of chaos, regardless of how the new composition effects play. Change for the sake of change.

[1KCSoonerFan]

Who provides the balls for a game - the hosting school, an NCAA official, or other group? Further, are the bats checked and/or tested by someone?

I am going to look this up and see what I can learn about it.

I found out that evidently the Rawlings NC12L 12-inch is the NCAA Official Ball. So, if only one company is making all the balls, then I would imagine a lot of quality control and testing of the product. (Mizuno makes the ball for the international competitions.)

Bats are made a lot like carbon fiber fishing rods. Interesting.

[TropicalSooner]

Who provides the balls for a game - the hosting school, an NCAA official, or other group? Further, are the bats checked and/or tested by someone?

I am going to look this up and see what I can learn about it.

I found out that evidently the Rawlings NC12L 12-inch is the NCAA Official Ball. So, if only one company is making all the balls, then I would imagine a lot of quality control and testing of the product. (Mizuno makes the ball for the international competitions.)

Bats are made a lot like carbon fiber fishing rods. Interesting.

Ok. So, if the Rawlings NC12L 12-inch is the official ball of the NCAA, then I assume all the balls that everyone uses are all the same, and therefore all are at the same compression. The old rules stated maximum compression was to be 350 +/- 50. Let's say Rawlins made them all at maximum compression of 350 pounds just for simplicity of making everything the same during the course of manufacture. Now the new rules state the maximum compression is to be 275-375 pounds. Can we then assume Rawlins will continue to make the balls all standard at 350 pounds and nothing will have changed? If so, then all our 'fears' are moot. If they were making them all at 400 pounds before and now have to make them at something less, then in my opinion, yeah, you will lose distance on long fly balls. Jayda won't have to jump as high....she can just catch them at the warning track.

If I am missing something here? Please feel free to correct me--I'm trying to understand.
I mean, if you go to Acadamy and buy a box of softballs, is the manufactured pounds of compression stamped on the box somewhere?

[OUBeliever56A]

Who provides the balls for a game - the hosting school, an NCAA official, or other group? Further, are the bats checked and/or tested by someone?

I am going to look this up and see what I can learn about it.

I found out that evidently the Rawlings NC12L 12-inch is the NCAA Official Ball. So, if only one company is making all the balls, then I would imagine a lot of quality control and testing of the product. (Mizuno makes the ball for the international competitions.)

Bats are made a lot like carbon fiber fishing rods. Interesting.

Ok. So, if the Rawlings NC12L 12-inch is the official ball of the NCAA, then I assume all the balls that everyone uses are all the same, and therefore all are at the same compression. The old rules stated maximum compression was to be 350 +/- 50. Let's say Rawlins made them all at maximum compression of 350 pounds just for simplicity of making everything the same during the course of manufacture. Now the new rules state the maximum compression is to be 275-375 pounds. Can we then assume Rawlins will continue to make the balls all standard at 350 pounds and nothing will have changed? If so, then all our 'fears' are moot. If they were making them all at 400 pounds before and now have to make them at something less, then in my opinion, yeah, you will lose distance on long fly balls. Jayda won't have to jump as high....she can just catch them at the warning track.

If I am missing something here? Please feel free to correct me--I'm trying to understand.
I mean, if you go to Academy and buy a box of softballs, is the manufactured pounds of compression stamped on the box somewhere?

I think the ball 'change' is much to do about not very much. The rule was changed to allow the same ball to be used by all major levels of softball, not to make someone change I think. It was not about reducing how far the ball flies or about speed off the bat being reduced. There will probably be a physics major that could provide an analysis of the ball to dispute that but in the real world, it is very little change that will be seen or felt.

Yes, the compression rating is on the box in small print along the bottom of the box or that is where it was at one time. Back in the day, the Dudley ball was the ball of choice by pitchers (higher seems) and it always felt slicker and harder than the other balls to me. Yet the compression was the same. With one manufacturer of the ball, the seam differences is now moot.

[1KCSoonerFan]

Thanks Tropical and '56 for weighing in on this point.

Nice connecting the dots with Logic and Math skills, Tropical!

According to the new specs (275 to 375), I assume Rawlings would NOT have to change anything if they made balls at the same compression as last year - unless they were pushing the max limits of the old specifications high or low. My guess is that Rawlings was already within both the old and new specs from the start. That's why they sere selected as the official ball of the NCAA.

I'm not familiar with the intricacies of softball manufacturing, however, it makes logical and cost-saving sense to not re-tool the production line if the current product meets the specifications set by the NCAA. Also, it makes sense that the manufacturer would set tolerances at a level that allowed for slight changes in compression due to natural and unavoidable variances in materials and human error. Nothing would break my heart more as the production manager in charge of producing 100K balls that were barely out of spec and rejected by a customer like the NCAA! I would become the Former PM pretty fast.

I feel less concerned about new specs for softballs now that I know ALL teams in the NCAA will be playing with the same ball made by the same company. As '56 stated, a physicist could enlighten us on the details of the difference in flight distance, speed off the bat, and other factors related to compression.

Finally, if the 'new ball' were going to make a significant difference to the game, I have full confidence that Patty would know about it and be talking about it openly. It would not surprise me one bit if she already had a physics student (or professor as part of a class project) take a scientific look at it.
For all I know, she may know the specs of the new ball already and be thinking, "We're gonna hit 20% MORE homers this year." JT is for sure all over this, too.

Can't wait for the game on Monday! I need to check and see if it will be carried on The Franchise Radio! (listening on the radio reminds me of days long ago when my grandpa listened to the Cardinals games on the radio...on those hot and humid summer nights in Muskogee...with an old wire cage fan blowing...and flipping the pillow to get the 'cool side' against my cheek...Nostalgia.

[OU_Tom]

The softball specifications will be standardized with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Softball at a maximum compression of 275-375 pounds. The specifications take effect January 1, 2024 with a goal of improving inventory availability and assisting in cost containment.

ha. if they really wanted to save $$$ money, they would figure figure out how to prevent foul balls. That is cause for 95% of all 'lost' balls