RESOURCES

APPENDIX 3: BALL STANDARDS

A. AN OFFICIAL SOFTBALL

An official softball:

  1. must be a regular, smooth-seamed, concealed stitched or flat surfaced ball;
  2. must have a center core made of either No. 1 quality long fiber kapok, a mixture of cork and rubber, a polyurethane mixture, or other materials approved by Softball Canada;
  3. may be hand or machine wound with a fine quality twisted yarn and covered with latex or rubber cement;
  4. must have its cover cemented by application of cement to the underside of the cover and sewn with waxed thread of cotton or linen, or must have a molded cover bonded to the core or molded integrally with the core, and have authentic facsimile of stitching, as may be approved by Softball Canada;
  5. must have a cover of the finest quality No. 1 chrome tanned horsehide or cowhide, made of synthetic material, or made of other materials approved by Softball Canada.

B. DIMENSIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS

  1. The completed 30.5cm (12 in) ball will be between 30.2cm (11 7/8 in) and 30.8cm (12 1/8 in) in circumference and will weigh between 178.0g (6 1/4 ounces) and 198.4g (7 ounces). The flat seam style will have not less than 88 stitches on each cover, sewn by the two-needle method.

SC The completed 27.9 cm (11 in) ball shall be between 27.60 cm (10 7⁄8 in.) and 28.30 cm (11 1⁄8 in.) in circumference and shall weigh between 166.50 g (5 7⁄8 oz.) and 173.64 g (6 1⁄8 oz.). The flat seam style shall have not less than 80 stitches in each cover, sewn by the two-needle method.

  1. The completed ball will have a coefficient of restitution and compression standard as will be determined and set by Softball Canada.
  2. The COR means the Coefficient of Restitution of a softball when measured with the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) test method for measuring the Coefficient of Restitution of softballs.
  3. SC: A 12” ball with a COR of .52 or less shall be used in all adult Softball Canada Fast pitch play. An 11” or 12” with a COR of .52 or less shall be used in all Softball Canada Minor divisions. (Refer to Age Categories & Distance Table)

        SC Listed below are the standards established for each ball: 

                                                                                                                                 WEIGHT          

SIZE                    Minimum                      Maximum                      Minimum                     Maximum

 27.9 cm (11”)     27.60 cms (10 7/8”)     28.30 cms (11 1/8”)       166.50 g (5 7/8 oz.)      173.64 g (6 1/8 oz.)

30.5 cm (12”)     30.20 cms (11 7/8”)     30.80 cms (12 1/8”)       178.00 g (6 1⁄4 oz.)       198.45 g (7 oz.)

 

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