The Austrian Bowling Federation has informed its members about new urethane equipment regulations.
The Austrian Bowling Federation has decided to fully align with EBF and IBF decision to permit only urethane bowling balls that are manufactured with a minimum hardness of 78D.
Beginning April 6, 2026, the new urwthane ball use regulation will apply to Austrian national championships in the STM Trio and Team categories.
The rule will not apply to Mixed Doubles, Mixed Trio, or youth competitions.
Regional associations in Austria may suspend the regulation at state level until August 31, 2026. However, from the 2026–27 season onward, the rule will apply across all national competitions organized by the Austrian federation and its regional bodies.
The federation also confirmed that random hardness checks will be carried out during championships starting with the 2026–27 season.
Balls that do not meet the required standard will be declared non compliant and removed from competition. Any final game played with a non compliant ball may be scored as zero.
