Official Statement Regarding USBC’s National Tournament Exclusion of Bowling Ball Models
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
On March 29, 2022, the United States Bowling Congress identified 6 bowling ball models which have a percentage of balls produced below USBC’s minimum 73D hardness specification. The affected models are:
- Storm Phaze 4
- Storm Electrify Solid
- Storm Trend 2
- 900 Global Altered Reality
- 900 Global Wolverine
- Roto Grip UFO Alert
Language excerpted from USBC’s press release follows:
“… Effective March 30, 2022, these balls models are prohibited from use in USBC national tournaments, including, but not limited to, the USBC Masters, U.S. Open, USBC Open Championships, USBC Women’s Championships, all PWBA Tour events, USBC Junior Gold and Youth Open Championships, USBC Intercollegiate Championships, USBC Team USA Trials, USBC Senior Masters and USBC Senior Queens.
These ball models remain USBC approved. Each USBC competition, whether tournament or league, has the option to adopt USBC’s national tournament rule prohibiting use of these balls or to continue to allow their use…”
What does this mean for the 2021-2022 Vermont State Women’s Championships and Open Championships?
As these ball models have only been prohibited from use in national tournaments, the Vermont State USBC will allow their use in our state-level competitions.
If USBC revokes approval for any of these or other ball models in all USBC competition [examples: 2016 and 2017 manufactured Purple Hammer (effective March 21, 2022) and Storm Spectre (effective March 14, 2022)], the affected ball models will not be allowed for use in our state events as of the effective dates of the revocation.
Below are links to the USBC press release referenced above and other news releases related to the revoked approvals for the Purple Hammer and Spectre bowling balls:
USBC and Storm Products Announce Agreement of National Tournament Exclusion and Ball Exchange Program
BOWL.com | USBC and Storm Products announce agreement of national tournament exclusion and ball exchange program
USBC Revokes Approval of 2016 and 2017 Purple Hammer Balls
BOWL.com | USBC revokes approval of 2016 and 2017 Purple Hammer balls
USBC Revokes Certification Approval of Storm Spectre Ball
BOWL.com | USBC revokes certification approval of Storm Spectre ball
Download the official press release here.