Following the recent decision by the International Bowling Federation (IBF) and the European Bowling Federation (EBF) regarding the hardness of urethane bowling balls, the Finnish Bowling Association has also taken the decision how the new ruling should be implemented in national competition.
The Board of Directors took the decision at its meeting on March 11 to introduce the 78D urethane hardness rule in stages across its competitions.
In Finland, the new urethane rule will take effect on July 1, 2026.
From the 2026–2027 season, the regulation will apply to Finnish Championship competitions at all levels, the Finnish Championship league for men and women, the Finnish Bowling Tour, and the Finnish Youth Ranking.
In the following seasons, the Finnish Bowling Association plans to expand the urethane rule step by step to cover all competitions held in Finland.
The Board has assigned the Competition and Series Committee to prepare more detailed rules for the staged implementation and to define how compliance will be monitored.
In February 2026, the IBF confirmed that only urethane balls manufactured with a minimum hardness of 78D and approved by the USBC will be allowed in its major competitions. Days after, the EBF has also confirmed that the same urethane rule will apply to all EBF events starting April 6, after the 2026 European Youth Bowling Championships.
However, there will be no changes to the ongoing 2026 European Bowling Tour season, and current events will continue under existing regulations.
