Quick! Catch these new rules!
– Softball Rule Changes 2025 –
One of the most dangerous plays for a first baseman is a wild throw. When a ball comes at them in the dirt or over their head, the fielder has to move quickly to catch it. With a single bag, this movement often puts the fielder directly in the runner’s path. With the safety base, the first baseman can step into foul territory to catch the wild throw on the white bag, leaving a clear unobstructed path for the runner to sprint through.
In early June of 2022, the topic of requiring a safety base first appeared. The NCAA Softball Rules Committee first brought up the use of a safety base and agreed on a trial run of it for the 2022-2023 academic year. This topic then became of great interest to the board and especially to a lot of athletes.
Many softball players of all ages have expressed their desire to have a safety base. “The game is fast, and you can’t always control where you’re going when you’re hustling. The safety base gives you a clear path and one less thing to worry about.” -A Fastpitch League Athlete. A safety base is an orange first base bag to the right side of the original white first base bag, in foul territory. Having this bag limits the amount of collisions that occur during plays at first base. For the runner, the orange base gives the runner a designated lane to sprint through without having to worry about an oncoming infielder. For the fielder, the white bag stays in fair territory, giving the first baseman a clear path to receive a throw.
In August of 2022, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the experimental rule. This meant that teams could use the safety base during their regular season and during their fall ball season. Those who used the safety base were asked to collect specific data on its use and to give lots of feedback.
Over time, the desire grew and more and more athletes expressed their want for a safety base, many of those athletes seeing lots of potential with the safety base, having used it themselves.
In August of 2025, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel officially approved a rule change to require a double first base. The rule will have a staggered integration with Division I starting their requirements in 2026 season and Division II and III starting in 2027. This staggered timeline allows smaller schools and programs in Divisions II and III more time to budget for and install the new bases, as well as to familiarize their athletes and coaches with the new rule.
For NFHS (High School Softball), a double base is currently permitted but it is not required. The rule must be followed if the games are played on a national level. The decision to require at the state level is left up to each state’s high school athletic association. Some states have already made it a requirement for all high school softball games to have the safety base.
