USBC Communications
ARLINGTON, Texas — The United States Bowling Congress has published its 2026 Hardness Field Testing Research Report, summarizing the first year of field data collected on slow oil-absorbing bowling balls (in other words, urethane equipment) at USBC national championship events.
In the first year of USBC’s new specifications regarding such equipment, the organization gathered data at each key national event where such equipment was used.
The key findings, according to the USBC, are as follows:
- Most balls manufactured to the 78D specification remain over 73D in the field test.
- Approximately 1.1 percent of balls manufactured to the 78D specification tested under the 73D level in the field test.
- Data has been collected across multiple test stand configurations.
- All testing supports that a very small percentage of 78D manufactured balls will test under 73D in the field after use.
In its conclusions, the USBC stated the following:
“USBC plans to implement 73D as a low-end field hardness limit for slow oil-absorbing equipment at specified USBC national events. More information on that, including new Standard Operating Procedures for each tournament, will be posted in the coming weeks and months as we get closer to each event.”
See the complete report below: