2025 WCWS: NCAA rules experts reveal UCLA HR vs. Tennessee would have stood if play was reviewable

A controversial ruling at the Women’s College World Series left UCLA wondering if its season was over for almost 15 minutes as the umpires convened to review a key sequence. Ultimately, the Bruins were rewarded for the wait, awarded the tying run.

The play in question was a two-run home run by Megan Grant, which ostensibly tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning. The part in question?

Whether Grant had stepped over home plate as she was mobbed by teammates, failing to actually touch the base. Replay appeared to show that her foot stepped over the bag.

She was later dragged back to home to touch it by a UCLA teammate. But Tennessee called a challenge to review the play.

Ultimately, the officials spent close to 15 minutes reviewing the play before ruling that the portion of the play in question — determining which teammate had guided her back to home plate — was not reviewable.

The sequence was confusing enough that the NCAA issued clarification through pool reporters after the game. Some of the pertinent points from secretary-rules editor Vickie Van Kleeck and national coordinator of softball umpires Steve McCowan:

“Following the celebration at home plate the umpires got together to determine whether the runner touched home plate. The umpires observed that the runner returned to touch home plate, but it wasn’t clear if the runner was assisted by a teammate. In an effort to get the call right, the umpires decided to initiate video review to help determine what occurred.”

All well and good. But the replay of the UCLA home run trot took forever. That was because a particular portion of the rule book was not reviewable.

“A runner being assisted on the basepaths by a teammate is not on the list of reviewable plays in the NCAA Softball Rule Book,” the pool report stated. “Appendix G of the NCAA Softball rules book does not allow for the challenge of rule 12.17.3.4.1, which states that no offensive team personnel other than the base coaches and base runner(s) shall touch a runner until the runner contacts home plate.”

That leads to the inevitable next question… what would the ruling have been had it been reviewable?

“Because a home run is considered a dead ball, per Rule 12.17.3.4, on an initial offense, a warning would have been issued to the offending team, and it would not have affected the score of the game.”

In other words, a whole lot of drama for nothing, essentially. Tennessee would go on to win the game 5-4 over UCLA in the ninth inning, so the outcome wasn’t affected either way. Just an interesting quirk in the rule book that played out in front of millions on Sunday afternoon.