Germany has confirmed that it will adopt the international 78D urethane hardness rule for national competitions.

The Deutsche Bowling Union announced that beginning with the 2026–2027 sports year, only urethane bowling balls manufactured with a minimum hardness of 78D will be allowed in all national DBU competitions.

According to the DBU, the rule follows the regulations introduced by the International Bowling Federation, the European Bowling Federation and the United States Bowling Congress. Under these guidelines, only urethane balls with a surface hardness of at least 78D at the time of manufacture are permitted.

From the 2026–2027 season, the urethane rule will apply to all German championships, including youth divisions, the Bundesliga including finals and qualification matches, and qualifying tournaments for international championships.

For the 2025–2026 sports year, the regulation will already apply to the individual competition at the 2026 German Championships. This event serves as direct qualification for the European Championship of Champions, where the new urethane standard will also be in effect.

A list of balls that are not permitted under the 78D rule can be found through the official USBC ball list.