Why are there two first bases? Explaining college baseball's 'safety base' at CWS
As the College World Series takes place in Omaha over the next two weeks, there will be several distinct things that might stand out to those who may be tuning in for the first time this postseason.
One of those takes place at first base.
Used once as an experiment, the NCAA universally implemented a rule change to college baseball ahead of the 2025 season to improve player safety and reduce collisions (and potential gruesome injuries): a safety bag at first base.
Yes, two bases at first base. It's a rather distinct difference from MLB. Your eyes aren't deceiving you and it's a rule change that will certainly take some time (or additional time) getting used to.
Here's what to know about why there is a double first base at the CWS:
What is a safety base (double first base) in baseball?
The double first base in college baseball is exactly how it sounds: two bases are connected side by side; though, the second first base is placed on the right side of the first base line in foul territory.
The intent behind having a double first base used is to reduce collisions on those bang-bang plays at first base between the first baseman and the runner. In the instance of a bang-bang play at first, the first baseman can make the play on the white base while the runner can use the outer base.
Where the second first base, which is normally either orange or green, isn't "allowed to be used" by the runner is on pick-off plays. As noted in Rule 1, 7-B of the NCAA baseball rulebook, once a runner reaches first base safely, they are only allowed to use the white base. If a runner attempts to use the second first base, either intentionally or unintentionally, and gets tagged by the first baseman, that runner is called out, like Arizona baseball's TJ Adams in the video below.
College baseball double first base guidelines
The NCAA baseball rulebook states that the double first base may be used during the regular season and postseason.
As for the specific guidelines of the double first base, here's what Rule 1, 7-B of the NCAA baseball rulebook says:
- 1) A batted ball hitting or bounding over the white portion of the bag is a fair ball. A batted ball hitting or bounding over the colored (orange or green) bag without first touching or bounding over the white section is foul.
- 2) When an initial play is being made on the batter-runner at first base, the defense must use the white section of the double base and the batter-runner must use the colored base except in the case of a dropped third strike. After a dropped third strike, if the fielder is drawn to the side of the colored base, the runner would go the white base and the fielder to the colored base. On a dropped third strike, the fielder and batter-runner may touch either the white or colored base.
- 3) If there is a play on the batter-runner and the batter-runner touches only the white portion of the double base and the defense appeals prior to the batter-runner returning to first base, it is treated the same as missing the base.
When did college baseball start using safety bags?
The SEC was the first conference to experiment with double first bases, which came during the 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament and then several other SEC non-conference games that season.
In its 2024 news release on the experimentation, the SEC cited reducing collisions between an infielder and the batter at first base as one of the leading reasons for its implementation.
The double first base became more universally used throughout the country ahead of the 2025 season, and has been used for every game this year.
"Yeah it's weird. It'd different, and I know it is very player safety-driven. There are some really weird nuances that, truth be told, we're still working through," Alabama baseball coach Rob Vaughn said in March to The Crimson White, Alabama's student newspaper.
He added: "Anything that puts player safety first, I'm going to support. I was a little intrigued to follow in what the big leagues did and go with the bigger bases. ... But if it takes those collisions out of the game at first, I will support that in a heartbeat."
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