Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational Lacks Video Replay Review

Top college softball teams compete without benefit of replay technology at premier early-season tournament

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational, one of the country's premier early-season college softball tournaments, is being played without video replay review. Unlike the NCAA Tournament, where replay is required, regular-season and invitational events are not mandated to have replay capabilities. This has led to some controversial calls during the tournament, with coaches and fans criticizing the lack of replay on social media.

Why it matters

The Clearwater Invitational features 16 of the top college softball teams, and some of the games could have postseason implications despite being early in the season. The lack of replay review has prevented officials from correcting potential missed or incorrect calls, which could impact the outcomes of close, high-stakes games.

The details

The Clearwater Invitational is owned and operated by ESPN Events, and is being played at the Eddie C. Moore Complex with multiple fields in use simultaneously. The lack of replay is likely due to the logistical challenges of installing the necessary infrastructure across multiple fields, as typical softball stadiums on college campuses have the required setup. While the NCAA approved the use of video review ahead of the 2022 season, it is not mandatory for regular-season or invitational events.

  • The Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational is being played from February 12-15, 2026.

The players

ESPN Events

The company that owns and operates the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.

NCAA

The governing body for college sports that approved the use of video replay review ahead of the 2022 season, but has not made it mandatory for regular-season or invitational events.

Katie Repole

An assistant coach for the Clemson softball team, who was ejected from a game against Texas State for arguing a call that could not be reviewed due to the lack of replay technology.

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What they’re saying

“Softball tournaments should NEVER not have replay available. Looking at you, Clearwater Invitational...”

— X use Dr. AbbieSomething (Twitter)

“I agree with this. If you're going to have a 'marquee' tournament with top level talent… replay is a bare minimum in my opinion. It's an ESPN tournament- no excuses.”

— Jackie Winz (Twitter)

What’s next

The lack of replay review at the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational has sparked criticism from coaches, players, and fans. It remains to be seen if the tournament organizers will make changes to implement video replay for future editions of the event.

The takeaway

The absence of video replay review at a premier early-season college softball tournament like the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational highlights the inconsistencies in the use of technology across different levels of the sport. While the NCAA has approved replay for its postseason tournaments, the lack of a universal mandate for regular-season and invitational events has left some high-profile games vulnerable to potentially impactful missed or incorrect calls.