Over the last handful of seasons, theNCAA softball tournamenthas delivered fireworks as 64 teams compete for one of the coveted eight spots in Oklahoma City and play for the eventual national championship. After all, it is called the "Greatest Show on Dirt" for a reason. But that isn't the only thing theNCAA softball tournamentdelivers over its near month-long run from regionals, super regionals and theWomen's College World Series. As sure as softball will be played in the months of May and June, there also will be weather delays as the humid weather rolls in. REQUIRED READING:Who's in Super Regionals? Updated bracket, schedule for NCAA softball tournament Here's what you need to know about lightning delays and what they mean during the NCAA softball tournament: NCAA rules statethat if lightning strikes within at least six miles of the venue of the event, the game must be suspended. In addition, the NCAA uses the "Flash to Bang" method, meaning if lightning is observed, count the seconds until thunder is heard and divide the number of seconds by five to obtain the distance in miles. That means that if thunder is heard 30 seconds after the lightning strike, the storm is six miles away, therefore initiating a delay. "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. At night, be aware that lightning can be visible at a much greater distance than during the day as clouds are being lit from the inside by lightning. This greater distance may mean that the lightning is no longer a significant threat. At night, use both the sound of thunder and seeing the lightning channel itself to decide on when to reset the 30-minute return-to-play clock before resuming outdoor athletics activities." Closest proximity:Six miles Farthest proximity: Eight miles The NCAA notesthat for a lightning delay to be issued, a lightning strike needs to be seen and heard within at least six miles of the stadium and as far as eight miles. Lightning delay length:30 minutes Once lightning is detected in the area and the game goes into a lightning delay, it is either delayed or suspended for approximately 30 minutes. However, that 30-minute clock can be altered. For every lightning strike that follows the initial lightning strike, the 30-minute clock is reset. Knowing the likelihood of a weather delay, especially in the spring/summer, the NCAA has a fully written-outweather policyon what should happen for a WCWS game. Here's a closer look atthe NCAA's weather policyfor the NCAA softball tournament and the NCAA's other outdoor sports: No game will be skipped, meaning each game will continue in the order it is scheduled to play. If weather changes the date, the delayed/rescheduled game will still precede any future games. Tickets are good for the delayed/rescheduled game only. If the game date is moved due to weather, the ticket for the delayed/rescheduled game must be used. If a game is delayed, but resumed the same day, fans must present the mobile ticket for the delayed game to re-enter the stadium for the continuation of play. If a game is started then postponed to a new date/time, mobile tickets will be updated to reflect the new date/time. The updated mobile ticket will be scanned for re-entry into the stadium. In the event of a total game postponement to the following day, meaning the game did not begin at its scheduled time, mobile tickets will be updated to reflect the new date/time. The updated mobile ticket will be scanned for entry into the stadium. There are no refunds on tickets as all games will be played. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NCAA softball tournament lightning delays: How long do they last?
