The Softball Playing Rules Commission adopted bat certification standards effective January 1, 2002. Currently, the high-speed batted ball test (100 mph) is used for determining bats allowed to be used in WBSC World Championships, World Cups, the Olympic Games and all Australian National Tournaments. 

For a softball bat to be legal for use in Australian run fastpitch softball games, the bat MUST be 2 1/4 inch in barrel diameter, maximum length of 34 inches and have at least 1 of these 3 stamps:

Softball bats typically come in 2 materials: Aluminium and Composite.

Typically speaking, a composite softball bat is the better material as it allows the ball to "trampoline" off the composite barrel, giving the ball extra flight and better felling when bat to ball connection is made.

AUSTRALIAN ADULT BASEBALL: 

Players participating in SL1 and SL2 shall ONLY use wood or wood composite / laminated bats with a Maximum barrel Diameter of 2.75” and a max length of 42”.

All Grades SL3 and below shall use bats either the conventional wood type, wood composite, aluminum, ceramic or carbon graphite.

Any Aluminum, Ceramic or Carbon Graphite bats must meet the following standards:

• Any bat (either composite or hybrid bat) must be stamped with the BBCOR stamp to be considered a legal bat.
• A bat must not have a drop greater than -3 ounces to be considered a legal bat.

These Bat regulations will not be enforced for the Women’s Grade. Women playing in all female league can use any baseball bat they desire. Women playing in co-ed grades will need to adhere to those rules stated above.

AUSTRALIAN YOUTH BASEBALL:

From the 2019/20 season and beyond, non-wood bats used in the Little League (Majors) and below, Intermediate League, Junior League, and Challenger division shall bear the USA Baseball logo signifying that the bat meets the USA Baseball’s Youth Bat Performance Standard.

All BPF – 1.15 bats will be prohibited beginning in the 2019/20 season and beyond.

Additionally, starting in 2019/20, the bat diameter shall not exceed 2⅝ inches for these divisions of play. Bats meeting the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) standard may also be used in the Intermediate League and Junior League divisions.