FAYETTEVILLE — When the NCAA Softball Rules Committee met last week in Indianapolis, requiring a double first base was among the proposals made for the 2026 season.
The second base would be placed to the right of the traditional white base and is intended to help better define the running lane between home plate and first base for the batter-runner. It “could help umpires make calls when deciding whether the offensive player interfered with a defensive player's ability to catch a throw,” according to an NCAA press release.
"The double first base is also used at youth and international levels of softball," said Pittsburgh-Bradford coach Tina Phillips, the committee chair.