The “Safety Bag” Could be Coming to College Softball – On an Experimental Basis

The Softball Rules Committee has proposed the use of a double-bag first base, commonly referred to as a “safety bag”.

If approved by the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel – which covers all sports – also adopted would be the rules committee’s proposal that includes the double-base being used on an experimental basis for the 2022 fall exhibition and 2023 collegiate regular seasons.

Both teams would have to agree to use the double-bag first base in exhibition or regular-season games. Schools that choose to use the double-bag would submit a waiver request and must collect specific data points that will be outlined by the softball rules committee, according to an NCAA release.

Also per the NCAA release, “base specifications and specific rules on how to use the base will be included later as part of the experimental rule.”

During the Women’s College World Series, multiple head coaches expressed their support for the implementation of the double-bag first base. Texas head coach Mike White, who is a member of the Softball Rules Committee, was among those who expressed support for the proposal.