OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The NCAA is considering a change to its softball rules that would allow a defensive team to choose a penalty if a runner leaves base before the pitcher releases the ball.
The proposal would allow the defensive team to have the runner called out and replay the pitch — as the rules currently require — or take the result of the play if that’s more advantageous.
The change is one of several proposals that will be considered by the NCAA’s playing rules oversight panel on July 13.
The rules committee has also asked schools to test out a new model of softball during their fall games. The ball has a higher coefficient of restitution and a lower compression, meaning it could be livelier but have a softer impact when it hits a player.
