Jul 28, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas
International
Jul 28, 2025 | By Erikas Jansonas
International
Is USBC banning urethane bowling balls? In this episode, we break down the facts, rumors, and hidden reasons behind the potential ban.
From lane integrity to player development, and from manufacturer pressure to community backlash - this could change the game as we know it.
We cover the official USBC statement, explore what’s being said behind the scenes, and ask: is this really about fairness... or something bigger?
Tune in the latest episode!
The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has released results from its public survey on urethane bowling balls, revealing that a majority of respondents support some form of change to how urethane is used in certified competition. The one-question survey, distributed via email andsocial media, collected 20,943 responses. USBC used multiple channels to segment responses by audience group, including tournament participants, league bowlers, and the general bowling public. social media social media , According to USBC urethane survey, 57.32% of respondents supported some kind of change regarding urethane governance. Among them, 36.61% favored a full ban on urethane balls in all USBC-certified competitions. 17.63% preferred tighter specifications such as a minimum hardness of 78D, while 3.08% supported restricting urethane only in national tournaments. 57.32% By contrast, 38.67% of respondents preferred to keep current rules, and 4% said the issue did not concern them. While no final decision has been made, USBC stated that the results point toward the need for new governance. The Equipment Specifications Committee will now review all feedback and determine a recommendation, that may include changes to national tournament rules - such as removing certain high-performance urethane balls from national events - or increasing the manufacturing hardness standard for urethane balls going forward. In the USBC urethane survey results, USBC made it clear that no changes are currently being considered for local leagues or tournaments that choose to allow urethane. USBC is also not considering any changes that would justify a return or refund for any bowling ball. For clarification, USBC referenced existing definitions in the Equipment Specifications Manual. Only high-performance urethane bowling balls would be considered for removal from national tournaments. Non-high-performance balls are not expected to be affected by any changes under discussion. Examples of potentially impacted high-performance urethane balls include: Storm Pitch BlackStorm IQ Tour 78/UHammer Purple PearlHammer Black Hammer 78D Storm Pitch Black Storm IQ Tour 78/U Hammer Purple Pearl Hammer Black Hammer 78D Examples of high-performance balls not under consideration: NU Blue HammerStorm LevelMotiv Tank Yellowjacket NU Blue Hammer Storm Level Motiv Tank Yellowjacket Non-high-performance balls not affected: Storm MixHammer AxeMotiv Sniper Storm Mix Hammer Axe Motiv Sniper USBC emphasized that this list is not exhaustive but meant to illustrate the types of urethane equipment currently under review. Full USBC Urethane Survey Results Full USBC Urethane Survey Results The Equipment Specifications Committee is expected to meet in late August or early September 2025. As a reminder, on July 23, USBC released an official statement expressing increasing concerns about the ongoing use of urethane bowling balls in certified competition. As a reminder, on July 23, USBC released an official statement expressing increasing concerns about the ongoing use of urethane bowling balls in certified competition. As a reminder, on July 23, USBC released an official statement expressing increasing concerns about the ongoing use of urethane bowling balls in certified competition.
International
Is USBC banning urethane bowling balls? In this episode, we break down the facts, rumors, and hidden reasons behind the potential ban. From lane integrity to player development, and from manufacturer pressure to community backlash - this could change the game as we know it. We cover the official USBC statement, explore what’s being said behind the scenes, and ask: is this really about fairness... or something bigger? Tune in the latest episode!
International
Following USBC’s recent announcement that it is in advanced talks about a potential ban on urethane bowling balls, 32-time PBA Tour title winner, including 15 majors, Jason Belmonte stepped forward to share his views on social media. USBC’s recent announcement USBC’s recent announcement advanced talks about a potential ban on urethane bowling balls advanced talks about a potential ban on urethane bowling balls In a public post on Facebook, Belmonte urged the bowling community and governing bodies to look beyond urethane as the core issue. Instead, he pointed to the environment as the real driver behind the ball's widespread use. post on Facebook post on Facebook “Urethane isn’t our biggest problem - it’s the environments we create that reward its dominant use,” Belmonte wrote. “Bowlers should always use the ball that gives them the best motion for the pattern they’re on. That’s the name of the game. If urethane is dominantly used, it’s because the environment rewards it.” In Belmo's view, the sport should focus on education and lane pattern design that encourages variety - not restrictions. We already accept that different oil patterns challenge different styles and equipment use - short oil, long oil, flat, blended. We don’t ban the implementation of some patterns because they’re hard for some or because certain type balls don’t roll so well on those patterns. We expect bowlers to adjust, learn, and improve," Belmonte added. "Why can’t we take the same approach with urethane? Rather than banning a ball type, let’s use pattern design and education to promote variety. There should be nothing wrong with ‘some of the time’ a urethane ball be effective. He also addressed concerns about competitive fairness and legality. Some critics of urethane worry that certain models soften below legal limits over time. Belmonte acknowledged those concerns and encouraged stronger enforcement, production oversight, and possible updates to urethane specifications. "I believe this is where our governing body needs to step up and create better ways to enforce the legality and work with manufacturers to ensure these issues are no longer happening at production," Belmonte said. "Perhaps further spec changes can be addressed?" Belmonte emphasized that banning entire categories of equipment could set a dangerous precedent. "If we design environments that naturally limit the effectiveness of urethane - some of the time - we will encourage players to explore other options when the environment isn’t fit for it. Because once we start banning whole genres of equipment, where does it stop? If plastic becomes too effective, is that next? What about a new reactive formula? Or a style someone doesn’t like?" Finally, Belmonte pushed back against the claim that legal urethane stunts youth development. Instead, he argued that learning how to use urethane effectively is a skill in itself - and that bowlers should be encouraged to master all tools available. "We should be developing the sport, not shrinking it. Fairness doesn’t mean limiting choice. It means creating a playing field where all tools and styles can exist - and succeed - depending on how well they’re used. This is nearly completely based on the environment we create!"
International
For a while, rumours about regarding a potential urethane ban was all across internet. Now, it is finally taking shape. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) has issued a formal statement outlining growing concerns over the continued use of urethane bowling balls in certified competition. The announcement, released via social media last night, confirms that the national governing body is actively considering steps that could result in a USBC ban urethane bowling balls in the near future. via social media via social media Over the past several months, USBC has conducted in-depth research on urethane equipment. This process included gathering input from a third-party working group, technical experts, and key stakeholders across the sport. In addition, manufacturers were invited to submit comments during an official feedback period. According to USBC, the current concerns on urethane bowling balls focus on four key areas. First, there are issues with lane pattern integrity. According to USBC, urethane bowling balls tend to break down oil patterns faster than reactive balls. This creates lane conditions that may not match the intended design and can favor certain playing styles over others. lane pattern integrity Second, USBC points to competitive fairness. The use of both urethane and reactive resin balls in the same competitive setting may cause imbalances between different bowler styles. According to USBC, certain athletes gain an unfair advantage out of this. However, it remains unclear how this is defined as an unfair advantage, since each player chooses their own style, lane strategy, and equipment. competitive fairness Third, there are player development concerns, especially for younger athletes. The statement explains that an overdependance on urethane bowling balls may limit skill growth, reduce versatility, and affect how bowlers learn to adjust to different lane conditions. player development concerns Finally, USBC notes challenges with governance and enforcement. Urethane balls often measure softer over time, making it difficult to distinguish between natural wear and possible tampering. This has led to increased integrity issues, confusion at events, and overall discontent within the bowling community. challenges with governance and enforcement In response to these issues, USBC says it will continue to review the matter closely. Along with the official announcement on social media, USBC released a public survey asking on what should USBC do about urethane bowling balls in certified competitions. The survey offers several response options: USBC released a public survey USBC released a public survey Allow urethane with tighter specifications (such as a minimum hardness of 78); USBC ban urethane from all USBC-certified competition at the national, state, and local levels;USBC ban urethane only from USBC National Tournaments;Continue allowing urethane with no changes;This doesn't affect me, I'm not concerned about the topic. Allow urethane with tighter specifications (such as a minimum hardness of 78); USBC ban urethane from all USBC-certified competition at the national, state, and local levels; USBC ban urethane only from USBC National Tournaments; Continue allowing urethane with no changes; This doesn't affect me, I'm not concerned about the topic. All feedback collected to date, along with any new input, will be presented to the Equipment Specifications Committee during their next meeting, scheduled for late August or early September 2025. After that meeting, we should have a clearer picture wether USBC ban urethane bowling ball or not. Although, some sources suggest that the decission might be pretty much settled already. Though not officially confirmed in the USBC statement, sources suggest that bowling ball manufacturers had already been notified that a redefinition and ban of urethane bowling balls is expected. The exact scope and timeline are still under discussion. In the past year, most major brands have already moved away from producing new urethane bowling balls. For example, Storm released its last urethane model, the IQ Tour 78-U, in late 2023, while Hammer launched the Black Pearl Urethane in March 2024. Since then, no other performance-level urethane bowling balls have been released among major brands. IQ Tour 78-U IQ Tour 78-U The ban on urethane bowling balls is already taking place in Europe. In May, we reported that the Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) introduced a new rule banning the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major national competitions. This includes the Norwegian National Championships and the National League. we reported that the Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) introduced a new rule banning the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major national competitions. we reported that the Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) introduced a new rule banning the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major national competitions. Some bowlers were quick to react to the potential ban on urethane bowling balls. For example, four-time PBA Tour title winner Tom Daugherty jokingly suggested banning all spare bowling balls, since they make shooting spares too easy.
International