The Divisions I, II and III Softball Committees discussed common issues as well as division-specific items during their annual meetings June 26-29 in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

One of the more significant issues discussed that impacts all three divisions is the selection of umpires for championship competition. During the meetings, the committees agreed to continue a streamlined process of selecting umpires for the championships in which each committee selects its umpires and cross references the selections with the other committees, assuring that only one invitation is issued to any umpire.

The three committees also agreed to make an effort to meet in conjunction with the Softball Rules Committee at next year's annual meeting in order to collaborate on various rules issues.

The following division-specific actions were taken during the committees' separate meetings:

Division I

The Division I Softball Committee will recommend a new regional bracket format to the Championships/Competition Cabinet for 2001.

The new format would eliminate the disadvantages currently placed on the No. 4 seed and, to a lesser degree, the No. 3 seed in each regional and would eliminate the three versions of the bracket depending on how many teams are still alive in tournament play. The committee believes the new format is easier for fans, participants and the media to understand.

In the proposed six-team bracket, two teams would be required to play two games on the first day, and one team would be eliminated. No team would play more than two games in a day unless weather becomes a factor. This also allows a host to conduct two sessions on the first day of tournament play to increase publicity and attendance.

Starting next season, the committee no longer will publish numerical rankings, listing teams from top to bottom. The top teams in each region will be selected and released in alphabetical order.

In other actions, the committee reviewed its criteria for selecting regional sites and will continue to evaluate five factors, including the quality and availability of the facilities and other necessary accommodations, revenue potential (financial guarantee), attendance history and potential, geographic location and seed.

Host sites will be required to provide six phone lines in the press box for media use and a designated warm-up area near the field for teams to stretch out and throw. Locker areas must be comparable for each team.

A recommendation also will be forwarded to the Championships/Competition Cabinet to allow for all umpires to be flown to regional sites and to increase the officials fees effective with the 2002 championship.

Division II

The Division II Softball Committee will return to an eight-point power-ratings system for 2001. The committee experimented with a five-point system last season and determined it needed the differentiation of the eight-point system used in the past to better assist with the subjective evaluation of strength of schedule. This change was recommended to the Division II Championships Committee.

Also, the softball committee agreed to change how significant losses and Division III opponents are factored in when determining strength of schedule for selection purposes. Opponents that end the season with a winning percentage of .250 or less will be considered a significant loss to a team being considered for selection. Also, a win against a Division II or NAIA team will be counted as one point rather than three in next year's power rating. These recommendations were sent to the Division II Championships Committee for approval.

Regarding championship format, the semifinal games will be played in a different order next season. Game No. 13 between the two teams in the winner's bracket will be played at noon, and game No. 14 in the loser's bracket will be played at 2:30 p.m. This will provide the team that has advanced without a loss to the semifinal round the advantage of a game's rest.

The committee, noting that Salem, Virginia, will be the site for the 2001 championship, is soliciting bids for the 2002 event. Interested parties should contact Troy Arthur, NCAA assistant director of championships, at the NCAA national office. Bids will be due in the fall.

Division III

The Division III Softball Committee reviewed its championship selection criteria and will forward a recommendation to the Division III Championships Committee to further define strength of schedule by using records against opponents with an end-of-season winning percentage of .667 and above. The increased percentage, up from .500 in 2000, will more accurately reflect the caliber of victories needed to be selected to the championship.

The committee also discussed the seeding process. In past years, the committee has seeded the first-round sites before competition and whichever team won the first-round site became that seed in the national tournament. The committee will recommend to the Championships Committee that a regional rotation is established and that rankings based on the first round be eliminated.

The committee also determined that beginning in 2001, an NCAA Division III regional ranking no longer will be published. The committee will continue to compile this information for purposes of monitoring teams. At the end of the season, the committee will release a final, alphabetical list by region of all teams that were ranked by the committee at some point during the season. This should help institutions in the scheduling process. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association will continue to publish a Division III poll for publicity purposes. This will not be used to select teams to the national championship.

In other actions, the committee:

Determined that because of the length of the committee's tournament selection call this year, the committee will complete a preliminary selection for Pool B the Thursday before selections. On Sunday when the automatic qualifiers are confirmed for Pool A, Pool B would be reevaluated and confirmed. This should streamline the selection process.

In an effort to accommodate traditional scheduling and create more in-region games for teams, the committee will survey institutions about possibly realigning the Little East Conference into the New England region for 2002. Also under consideration is moving the Skyline Conference and City University of New York Athletic Conference into the Northeast and placing the members of the Presidents' Athletic Conference in the Central region. This would help eliminate the size variation between the East region and all others.

The committee will continue to give the No. 1 seed in each region preference in hosting the first round; however, if the facilities are significantly better at another site, the committee reserves the right to select another site to host.

The time schedule for the 2001 finals has been changed to 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday games will be at noon and 2:30 p.m., and the "if necessary" game will remain at 11 a.m. Monday. This reflects an earlier start time to avoid late-night games.

The committee will recommend that a head coach not in attendance at the mandatory coaches meeting be subject to a misconduct penalty. The committee wants to emphasize the importance of the information relayed during the required meeting.

The 2001 championship will be in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The committee will begin soliciting bids for the 2002 and 2003 championships in January.