[BretMan]

From the July 2016 "Plays and Clarifications" on the USA website:


July 2016 Plays and Clarifications
JULY 17, 2016, 10 P.M. (ET)

Mechanic Issues: Plate Mechanics

As we prepare for the 2016 National Championship season it is imperative that we review several areas of our plate mechanics that have caused concern around the nation.

The first topic we would like to discuss is placing your hands on your knees as a locking mechanism for your body. We have always taught that having your hands in front of your body in a comfortable positon is the desired mechanic. However, some umpires prefer to place their hands on their knees to lock themselves in their plate stance. Steadying yourself by placing your hands on your knees is acceptable as long as three things happen. First, you must go to the set position at the top of the strike zone prior to placing your hands on your knees. Second, you should not be resting your weight on your knees. Third, you should not be locked into this position waiting for the pitcher to perform their preliminaries and start the pitch; but instead, as mentioned above, you should wait to place your hands on your knees as you reach the set position. Remember the modified Jerry Davis stance, where an umpire locks their hands on their knees as the pitcher receives the ball and remains in this position for the entire pitch is not acceptable in ASA/USA Softball.