On social media today, one of the league secretaries at my center posted a reminder about the new ball cleaning rules. Someone who bowls there made a quip about the rule, but I do think it illustrates a problem with how the rule is worded.

While bowling in USBC competition, a bowling ball cannot:
a. Have the surface altered by the use of an abrasive.
b. Be cleaned with any liquid substance or cleaning agent.
c. Have any foreign material on it including, but not limited to, powder, rosin, marker or paint.

All bowling balls so altered or cleaned must be removed from the competition.

The person who bowls at the center's comment was that after every shot, his ball comes back with foreign material on it from the machinery therefore making all of his equipment illegal after one shot.

Here are my thoughts. Technically, part c as it is written does not specify how the foreign material got on the ball. I know the intent of the rule is so a human doesn't put foreign material on the surface of the ball, but without that directly being stated I could see some heated arguments from people who want to cause trouble by saying someone's ball with a belt mark/grease/whatever else the machinery put on the ball is now illegal. Then, if a liquid is needed to clean it, they can all argue over rule b too.

Mark

a few weeks ago, I had a couple balls cleaned by the Pro Shop. And, just brought back to out of box finish.

In the very first game, one ball came back with significant what looked like rubber scuffs all over it. Lane man said, it may have been caught in the accelerator wheel.

It took a significant effort to clean it with ball cleaner, rubbing quite hard.

Are you telling me I couldn't clean it with this new rule? So, I'd have to use another ball?

It doesn't necessarily require a ball change the way it is stated, but in my opinion it could be interpreted that way. I forgot to post about this part of the rule, I was going to add it, but it was beyond the edit time.

Should a foreign substance appear on the outer surface of a bowling ball which cannot be removed with a dry towel, an approved cleaner may be used with consent from a league or tournament officer.

I'm sure league and tournament officers want to deal with this. The way it is currently worded it seems that a foreign substance is illegal whether a human or a machine put it there. Additionally, they need to better define a "foreign substance" or there could be some debates. I see the possibility a lot of heated arguments and people causing trouble for the sake of disrupting someone who is bowling well.

Mark

So, a bowler may be rolling well, and an opponent may stick gum on his ball? To disqualify it?
Gum, ketchup, mustard, something foreign.

Oh, foreign??? Has to be Dijon mustard from Dijon, France.

Sorry to make light of this rule. Most league officers I know will tell the bowler to clean it.

I do think my league officers would also provide consent. I wasn't thinking about other bowlers putting foreign stuff on other people's bowling balls. I was thinking more about someone complaining about belt marks or other stuff from the pinsetters/pinspotters as being foreign material to disrupt someone who is doing well (I've got someone in mind in my league who would try something like that).

I'd be slightly worried if there was a situation where it was a benefit to league officers not giving consent, although it would not happen with the officers in my league. If there is foreign material that cannot be removed by a dry towel, what is stopping a unscrupulous league officer from not giving consent to use an approved cleaner to completely eliminate someone's ball from competition? It is unlikely, but I do think the USBC has opened up the door to some very biased decisions.

Mark

Going to be interesting. Every week I have to remove rubber marks from the ball. Usually I don’t know they are there until I am up. I have the habit of wiping and looking at the ball before I bowl. So now I will try to wipes and if not successful go look for a league official before I bowl to get approval delaying league play. And I hope everyone does this to make a point that this is a crazy rule. A better solution would be approval from the opposing team and move on.

couple weeks ago, I had a couple balls cleaned by the Pro Shop. after a few frames, One came back with heavy black rubber marks on it. They wouldn't come off with a dry towel. In fact, took quite an effort with a ball cleaner. So much, that I put the ball down and took out another.

I don't think I'd hold up the league waiting for an approval.

I thought the last post looked familiar. I posted it 2 days ago.
MMMMM
Senility is a wonderful thing!!

The USBC addressed the rule change in their last Ten Pin Puzzlers, but basically repeated the rules as they are in the rulebook. I decided to e-mail the USBC about marks put on by the machinery being a foreign substance; when I get an answer I'll post it here.

Mark

Wednesday did not take long to get rubber marks on my ball. Only thing it was in practice lane broke down then we ended up moving to another lane. So a dry cloth did not remove used Storm cleaner to remove. This was before leagues started. No problem the rest of the night.

But this did get me wondering if this was during the league what is now considered legal approved cleaner. Can you use any approved cleaner now whether it is stated "approved before or after" or Approved Anytime". I think all the new products have only "Approved before and After and no more anytime on them.