Franklin, MA January 24, 2002 - - The Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) voted unanimously yesterday not to issue an emergency rule requiring the use of wood baseball bats during the 2003 regular season. MIAA member schools therefore continue with the opportunity to choose wood or metal bats during the regular season.

The Board acted after receiving a report from a Special Task Force formed by the Board to study a request that would require wood baseball bats for this spring’s regular season. The Board had been asked by its Baseball Committee to consider making such an emergency rule change for the 2003 regular season. The Baseball Committee’s decision to require wood bats for the 2003 tournament remains in effect.

After hearing comments on the issue at a six hour public hearing on January 15^th the Task Force voted 7 to 1 against recommending an emergency rule be enacted. The Board was advised that the Task Force had concluded there was no compelling evidence that metal bats were significantly more dangerous than wood and, therefore, no emergency conditions existed.

Under MIAA policy, the Board’s authority to enact emergency rules is contingent on the existence of compelling conditions involving the health and safety of student athletes

The Task Force’s second assignment was to make a recommendation on a permanent rule change proposal calling for wood bats. This proposal is working its way through the Association’s rule change process. On this question the Task Force advised the Board that it had voted 5 to 4 to recommend a change to wood bats.

The Board took that recommendation under advisement and will consider it along with the recommendations on the rule change proposal that will be received from various statewide committees, District Athletic Committees, and the Massachusetts Secondary School Athletic Directors' Association. At its May meeting the MIAA Board will determine its own position on the wood bat proposal, which then will be forwarded to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Council (MIAC) for final action later in May.