When the best fastpitch teams in the country come together for Scenic City Fall, every inning matters, every pitch means something, and every moment feels like championship softball. The same intensity carries through at Scenic City Top 25, where elite programs battle through tightly scheduled matchups in front of college coaches from across the nation. But with teams flying home early Sunday and the fall recruiting calendar tightening every year, there are weekends when the full championship Top 25 bracket cannot finish on the field.

That unique challenge created one of the most beloved traditions in the Scenic City experience: The Rock, Paper, Scissors Battle.

It started as a solution. Now it is a rite of passage players look forward to year-after-year.

How a Simple Game Became a Scenic City Tradition

Several years ago, Top 25 reached a point where two undefeated teams both needed to catch flights home before the bracket could run through the final game. The coaching staffs and Connect Sports staff members gathered to confirm that this was a mutual forfeit, meaning the teams would leave as Co-Champions, and frankly, everyone was satisfied. Except for the media staff ... months of preparation of mocking up t-shirts and trophies and looking forward to awarding them—all to walk away with a handshake between head coaches and some smiles between teams?!

Nope – not good enough for the EPIC event that is Top 25. That’s when our Marketing and Branding Director said, “What if we settle it with Rock, Paper, Scissors?”

The teams tentatively agreed. The circle formed. Parents crowded the fence. Coaches laughed and hyped up their players. The tension built like a bottom of the seventh moment with the winning run on third. After a best of three series, the crowd exploded. A champion was crowned, and an iconic Scenic City tradition was born.

What the Rock, Paper, Scissors Battle Represents

The Rock, Paper, Scissors Battle is not about luck. It is about:

• Trusting teammates under pressure
• Handling big-moment nerves
• Putting pride on the line without a bat in hand
• Celebrating the game, the community, and the relationships softball creates

Players step into the circle with the same adrenaline they bring to a game-clinching at-bat or a pitcher looking to nail strike three to end the game. Teams huddle, strategize, and cheer like it is the final out of a championship win. The energy is real, the competition is real, and the moment is unforgettable.

Part of The Ultimate Fastpitch Experience

The Rock, Paper, Scissors Battle is more than a fun tradition. It represents everything Connect Sports community has cultivated:

• High-level competition
• Community and connection
• Joy in the game
• Respect for the athletes and the experience

Scenic City has always been about creating moments that last long beyond the weekend’s games. The battle has become a symbol of that spirit. It takes an intense, high-stakes environment and reminds everyone why they fell in love with softball in the first place.

Winning at Top 25 is still about dominating on the field. But the champion crowned on Rock, Paper, Scissors Sunday earns that moment because of everything they did to get there: the fight, the grit, the teamwork, and the ability to handle pressure.

See the Battle for Yourself

This is Scenic City. This is Top 25. This is The Ultimate Fastpitch Experience.

Want to be part of next year’s Scenic City experience? Registration is now open for Scenic City Summer 2026.