Following the completion of conference tournaments last week and the NCAA Softball Tournament selection show on Sunday, the college softball postseason is in full swing this week with the start of NCAA Softball Regionals.

Sixteen teams will host regionals across the nation Friday through Sunday, with an opportunity to move onto the super regional round and, eventually, a shot at the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While softball has generated a larger and larger audience each year, there are new fans who tune in each season who will and learn some new rules.

REQUIRED READING: NCAA Softball Tournament bracket: Schedule, TV channels, streaming, scores for Road to WCWS

While college softball shares numerous similarities with college baseball, there are some major differences. One that fans will learn is that a college softball game is generally shorter compared to its baseball counterpart.

Here's what you need to know about the length of a softball game:

How many innings are in a college softball game?

A college softball game is typically seven full innings. The innings are untimed, and both teams have a chance to hit and field once each, with the innings being divided into halves as the "top" and "bottom." The "away" team bats first, followed by the "home" team.

Like baseball, games can last six-and-half innings if the home team wins the game on the field by collecting three outs in the top of the seventh with the lead. Likewise, softball games can go into extra innings if tied following the bottom of the seventh inning.

As in the NCAA, high school softball and Olympic-level softball also play seven innings, bringing uniformity throughout the levels.

REQUIRED READING: Can anyone stop OU softball early in NCAA Tournament? Meet Norman Regional opponents

Can a college softball game end early?

Yes. A game is deemed official after five or more completed innings, according to Rule 6.17.1, and the the umpire deems the game cannot continue "for reasons such as lightning, darkness, rain, fire, panic or other causes that place the spectators or players in danger." Other circumstances for calling a game early:

• If the home team has scored more runs at the end of its fourth inning than the visiting team has scored in its five offensive half innings.

• If the home team has scored, in an unequal number of innings, more runs than the visiting team.

• If a team is ahead by eight or more runs after five innings, or if the home team is at least eight runs ahead after 4 1/2 innings.

Games can also end due to the eight-run mercy rule following the fifth inning. This means a team can technically earn a "walk-off hit" if it puts them ahead by eight or more runs after the conclusion of the top of the fifth inning.

Longest college softball games in WCWS

The 25-inning game between Texas A&M and Cal Poly Pomona in 1984 was the longest game in WCWS history and was played over two days. On May 24, 1984, 22 1/2 innings were played before the game was halted due to rain. The game resumed the next afternoon at 4:30 p.m. for the final 2 1/2 innings.

The 17-inning affair between Florida and Oklahoma in 2017 is the longest game in the three-game WCWS history.

• 1. 1984, 25 innings: Texas A&M 1, Cal Poly Pomona 0

• T2. 2017, 17 innings: Oklahoma 7 vs. Florida 5

• T2. 1992, 17 innings: Arizona 1 vs. Kansas 0

• T2. 1983, 17 innings: UCLA 2 vs. South Carolina 1

• T5. 2013, 15 innings: Florida 9, Nebraska 8

• T5. 1994, 15 innings: Oklahoma State 3 vs. CSUN 2

• T7. 1997, 14 innings: Arizona 2, UCLA 0

• T7. 1995, 14 innings: Iowa 9, Michigan 7

• T7. 1983, 14 innings: Texas A&M 1, UCLA 0

• T7. 1982, 14 innings: Fresno State 1, Oklahoma State 0

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How long are college softball games at 2024 NCAA Tournament, WCWS?