Norway Bans Certain Urethane Bowling Balls in National Events

The Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF)

The Norwegian Bowling Federation (NBF) has introduced a new rule that bans the use of certain urethane bowling balls in major national competitions. This includes the Norwegian Championships and the National League. The decision was officially made during the federation’s 2025 General Assembly.

The main reason behind the ban is to make sure all players compete under fair and equal conditions. The new rule targets urethane and urethane-like balls that are listed on an official banned list published on the NBF's website, bowling.no. Any ball that appears on this list can no longer be used in these top-level tournaments.

The list of banned balls is managed by the federation’s Technical Committee and will be updated twice a year, in January and June. If a tournament invitation doesn’t specifically mention ball restrictions, then the general rule applies: only balls approved by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) are allowed, but not if they are on Norway’s banned list.

This decision follows a detailed report from the USBC in 2023. The report explained that urethane balls made before 2013 used a different and more stable material. After 2014, some ball makers started using different methods that didn’t follow the PBA’s 78D hardness standard, introduced in 2022. This created concerns about fairness, especially in competitive play.

The NBF emphasized that this move is not based on personal opinions. Instead, it reflects a careful evaluation of technical data and international input. According to the federation, the goal is to maintain trust and fairness in Norway’s most important bowling events.

With this change, bowlers in Norway will need to double-check their equipment before competing. If a ball is on the banned list, it is no longer allowed in the National Championship or National League. This marks a major shift for Norwegian bowling and brings the country’s rules closer in line with the U.S.