September 4, 2025 Professional Bowlers Association

Regarding today’s USBC announcement on new equipment specifications:

The PBA addressed issues surrounding so-called “urethane” bowling balls, several years ago.

As a result, for the past two years all PBA tournaments (PBA Jr., PBA Regional, PBA50 and PBA National Tour) have been contested under a uniform 78D hardness rule for that category of ball.

The PBA’s 78D rule addressed the most pressing concerns and has served our players, events and partners well. As the parameters of the sport continue to evolve, the PBA will continue its research, testing and evaluation to determine if any additional changes are needed for our level of competition.

While we respect USBC’s decision, for now and the upcoming 2026 season, all PBA events will continue as is by allowing “urethane” bowling balls manufactured at 78D hardness and not dropping under 73D after time and/or in use.