How long are lightning delays in NCAA Softball Tournament? Weather policy, explained
Rain and lightning delays are bound to happen this time of the college softball season. Here's what to know on the NCAA's weather protocols.
At this time of the college softball season , especially once the NCAA Softball Tournament reaches Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series, weather is bound to be a factor in games. Some of the most common types of weather delays in college softball are due to lightning and pop-up rainstorms, which can delay games for minutes — or hours. And because of the nature of the NCAA Softball Tournament, cancellations and postponements are not in play.
NCAA Softball Tournament predictions: Picking all 16 regional winners Once a game has begun, it must be finished. With the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament beginning with regional play on Friday, May 15 and concluding with the Women's College World Series in early June, there is ample opportunity for weather to, quite literally, rain on the college softball postseason. Here's what to know on NCAA Softball Tournament and Women's College World Series weather delay protocols: How long are lightning delays in NCAA softball?
NCAA rules state that once lightning is detected in the area and the game goes into a lightning delay, it is either delayed or suspended for 30 minutes. The 30-minute clock resets for every lightning strike within a six-mile radius following the initial strike, meaning delays can extend for several hours. NCAA softball lightning delay policies The NCAA mandates that if lightning strikes within at least six miles of an event venue, the game must be delayed or suspended.
The NCAA uses the "flash-to-bang" method, meaning that if lightning is observed, officials must count the seconds until thunder is heard and divide the number of seconds by five to obtain the approximate distance in miles. "To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and after the last flash of lightning is at least six miles away, and moving away from the venue," the NCAA states. "If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant threat.