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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee's Karen Weekly: 'Everybody but four people' saw Megan Grant miss home plate
Tennessee's Karen Weekly: 'Everybody but four people' saw Megan Grant miss home plate Show Caption Hide Caption Karen Weekly on Tennessee softball beating Nebraska to advance to WCWS Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly talks about the Lady Vols' 1-0 win over Nebraska to advance to Women's College World Series. Roughly 90 minutes had passed since a controversial, game-tying home run sent Tennessee softball's Women's College World Series elimination game against UCLA into extra innings Sunday. But as she sat down for her post-game news conference after her team's win, Lady Vols coach Karen Weekly wasn't any less bothered by what had occurred. Weekly teed off on the umpiring and replay review crews after No. 7 Tennessee's 5-4 victory against No. 9 UCLA in nine innings, noting that she believed the incorrect call had been made on a two-run homer from Bruins slugger Megan Grant, who didn't touch home plate as she completed her trot around the bases. REQUIRED READING: Tennessee softball, Karlyn Pickens vs UCLA highlights: Lady Vols going back to WCWS semifinals 'I think everybody but four people saw the play at the plate,' Weekly said. 'We saw in the dugout she had missed the plate and we saw her teammates had kind of pushed her back. By rule, that should have been nullified. ... We went to the umpire and said, 'This is what happened.' Then they did their thing.' After Grant had initially stepped over home plate, one player in her mob of teammates who greeted her, Alexis Ramirez, grabbed her and moved her in the direction of the plate to make sure she touched it. After a 20-minute video review, it was determined that, while Grant did not touch the plate and had been assisted, it was not reviewable according to Appendix G of the NCAA Softball Rule Book. When asked later during her news conference about what her team did to occupy itself during the review, Weekly sarcastically referred to it as 'that lengthy review-not review.' REQUIRED READING: Why did Megan Grant's home run count in WCWS for UCLA? Play was not reviewable The victory the Lady Vols would have gotten had the call gone the other way was ultimately delayed, not denied. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tennessee native Laura Mealer roped a single to left field to bring home the game-winning run. With the win, Tennessee has advanced to the WCWS semifinals on June 2, where it will play No. 6 Texas. The Lady Vols, who already have a loss in the double-elimination tournament, will need to beat the Longhorns twice in order to make it to the WCWS championship series.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What is Appendix G? NCAA rule allowed UCLA home run vs Tennessee in WCWS
Tennessee softball's elimination game against UCLA in the 2025 Women's College World Series on Sunday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City sent fans across the country to a place few would have anticipated when they tuned into the matchup — the NCAA rule book. With the Lady Vols leading the Bruins 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, Megan Grant smacked a two-run, game-tying home run off Tennessee flame-thrower Karlyn Pickens. What initially appeared to be a straightforward — albeit incredibly consequential — play soon became a subject of controversy. After rounding third base, Grant headed home, with her teammates waiting there to mob her. Grant, however, did not initially touch home plate and only did so several seconds later after teammate Alexis Ramirez prompted her to do so. Tennessee challenged the home run call, which led to a lengthy video review and the final call – the ruling on the field would be upheld, as Grant had not originally touched the plate and had been assisted to go back and make contact, but the play wasn't reviewable according to Appendix G. The decision sent the game into extra innings. The ruling led to frustration and outright anger from the Tennessee dugout, but for those watching the game, it created some understandable confusion. What, exactly, is Appendix G? Here's a closer look at Appendix G and how it factored into the umpiring crew's decision in Sunday's WCWS game between UCLA and Tennessee softball: What is Appendix G? Tucked away in the 185-page 2025 NCAA Softball Rule Book is Appendix G, which legislates video review in the sport. The appendix, which covers two pages in the rule book, details what plays are subject to video review and criteria for using video review. Appendix G outlines 12 different plays and scenarios that can be reviewed. While there is a section for flagrant and malicious contact, that doesn't appear to include actions like Ramirez nudging her teammate to ensure she touches home plate. Here's a list of the plays subject to video review, according to the NCAA rule book: 1. Regarding batted balls (any ball higher than the top of the foul pole when it leaves the field cannot have that aspect reviewed): a. Deciding if a batted ball called fair is fair or foul. b. Deciding if a batted ball called foul should be a ground-rule double, home run, or hit-by-pitch. c. Deciding if a batted ball is or is not a home run. 2. Regarding pitched balls at the plate: a. Deciding if a pitch ruled a dropped third strike was caught before the ball touched the ground. b. Deciding whether a live or dead ball should be changed to a foul ball. c. Deciding whether a foul ball should be changed to a foul tip only with no base runners, or if it would result in a third out. d. Deciding whether a batter is entitled to an award of first base per Hit Batter (by Pitch) - whether the ball hit the batter, whether the ball was entirely in the batter's box, whether the batter made an attempt to get out of the way of the pitch when required, and/or whether the batter intentionally tried to get hit by the pitch (see Rule 11.13). 3. Spectator interference. 4. Obstruction and interference (including collisions). 5. Deciding if malicious/flagrant contact occurred. Umpires may initiate this review without requiring a coach's challenge at any point in the game to ensure student-athlete safety. 6. Timing plays (deciding whether a third out is made before the lead base runner touches home plate). 7. Force/Tag Play Calls: Plays involving all runners acquiring the base before the defensive player's attempt to put the runner out at any base. 8. Blocked or dead ball/Placement of Runners: Deciding whether a ball not ruled blocked should be ruled blocked, and the proper placement of runners (per the rules/case book) after any blocked or dead ball call. 9. A catch or no catch in any situation. 10. Runners leaving the base prior to the touch on a fly ball (tagging up), runners missing a base and runners leaving early on a pitch. Note: The crew chief may not initiate a review of runners leaving early on a pitch. This review is only allowed by a coach's challenge. 11. Any of the listed reviewable items if the action on the field results in a dead ball. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Does college softball have a run rule? How NCAA Tournament, WCWS games can end early
One of the most common topics of discussion about college baseball and softball has been the pace of play in both sports. One way college baseball and softball have worked at improving pace of play has been the implementation of a pitch clock. But that isn't the only way both sports have worked at speeding up the game. Another rule that has shortened games and saved pitchers' arms would be the run-ahead rule — commonly known as the "mercy rule" — that can go into effect starting in the fifth inning if a team is well ahead in the game. REQUIRED READING: Who's in Super Regionals? Updated bracket, schedule for NCAA softball tournament In the regional round of the NCAA softball tournament, the run rule went into effect in 37 of the 101 total games played over the three days. Four-time reigning national champion Oklahoma won each of its three games in the Norman Regional by run rule, as the Sooners scored 31 total runs in that span. Here's what you need to know about the run rule in college softball as the 2025 NCAA softball tournament continues on with the super regionals and then the Women's College World Series: Yes, college softball has a run rule, or a mercy rule, that can be applied during a game if the score warrants it. According to the NCAA, a team must lead by eight or more runs after five or more innings — or, in the case of the home team, 4 1/2 innings — for the run rule to go into effect. If the home team is in jeopardy of being run-ruled, however, that team does have the opportunity to score to avoid the mercy rule in the bottom half of the inning. More from Rule 6.14 of the 2024 and 2025 NCAA Softball Rule Book: "A regulation eight-run-rule game shall be declared by the plate umpire if one team is ahead by eight or more runs after five or more equal innings. Complete innings must be played unless the home team reaches the eight-run lead while at bat in the last inning. Any hit that results in an eight-run lead by the home team (after 4 1/2 innings) is treated as a game-ending hit." Yes, as confirmed by the NCAA's 2024-25 pre-championship manual, there is, in fact, a run rule once again in the Women's College World Series, which is held annually in Oklahoma City at Devon Park. There is no difference in the run rule for a WCWS than a regular season game or a game in the regional and super regional rounds of the NCAA softball tournament. As previously reported by The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network, the run rule didn't get added to the WCWS format and rulebook until the 2023 WCWS championship series between Oklahoma and Texas. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College softball run rule, explained: How WCWS games can end early
