Just had 2 situation last night and was alittle confused on both... One of the dudes I was bowling against started cleaning his ball with alcohol after a few shots, the same dude put some powder on his shoe and made the approach slippery for me because I don't slide that much, and also is having a wet cleaning rag legal ( Just water )

alcohol changes the ball reaction so I thought it was illegal...

alcohol changes the ball reaction so I thought it was illegal...

There are many ball cleaners which are legal to use during bowling. There are many that are only for use before or after bowling. There is a published list by the USBC.
http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/Combined%20cleaner_polish.pdf

His using powder on his shoes is not illegal. His getting it on the approach and interfering with your slide IS illegal, because it can be dangerous and unsafe for you and others.

His using powder on his shoes is not illegal. His getting it on the approach and interfering with your slide IS illegal, because it can be dangerous and unsafe for you and others.

Unfortunately Rule 12 is very weak.  Another problem is that most officials i.e. league and associations do not want to take rule 12 action because they themselves are not up on the rules.  Some just do not want to upset anyone.  Oh that's just Joe he's been doing that for years.  We don't want to upset old Joe!  Facts are it is not illegal to put powder on your shoes.  When it becomes illegal is when they track it on the approach.  Then you have to have a league official ask them to stop.  Since the official was elected in a pig kissing contest and doesn't want to enforce the rules because they do not know them there is the problem.  So getting old Joe to stop because no one knows the rules or will enforce them will get someone seriously hurt.  I had a bowler using graphite on his shoes and getting him to stop was next to impossible!  Another fact people that track ezslide onto approaches honest only think of themselves.  They do not think of how it will effect others that are bowling with them.  When they argue about it and say well I am not able to slide and I will get hurt, what about the other people you bowl with?  There are possibly 9 other bowlers on the same pair as they are during league.  What is the ezslide going to do to their approach?  Sometimes you hear well why don't they use ezslide too?  IT IS DANGEROUS IF NOT USED CORRECTLY!  That is why the industry has come up with various solutions to this problem.  Please pick the solution that will not endanger your fellow bowlers.

Smash49

This isn't to start a fight but the shoe thing, if I can not slide I will put easy slide on my shoe regardless if someone likes it or not.  Why is it ok for you to slide or plant and throw but i have to struggle if I am sticking on the approach.  If I am having a problem sliding I am going to figure it out to solve the problem.

This isn't to start a fight but the shoe thing, if I can not slide I will put easy slide on my shoe regardless if someone likes it or not.  Why is it ok for you to slide or plant and throw but i have to struggle if I am sticking on the approach.  If I am having a problem sliding I am going to figure it out to solve the problem.

No one say's you can't use easy slide, just use it responsibly.

There are a lot bowler's who take easy slide and cake it all over the sole. then when they walk to and on the approach, you see easy slide foot prints every where.

Now someone else comes up to bowl they step in it and get it on their shoes, the approach is real slippery for them. They could fall. That's what the rule is about defacing the approach.

If you use it put it on outside the bowlers circle, tap the excessive off the on the carpet or use your shoe brush and brush it off. It will still work. It doesn't take much.

Or if your sticking on just one part of the sole , just put it on there, not the entire sole.

So I should have to spend close to $100 for a pair of shoes when I can just put some easy slide on my current ones and be fine.  You sir are off your rocker.  And I am guessing you one of the bowlers who when they dont like something that is not going there way you whine, piss and moan to you get your way.   You will make a lot of enemies being a little crybaby bitch.  If you want to by me a brand new pair of shoes go for it, if not, you better hope you never bowl with me because if I am sticking, then you better believe I am breaking out the easy slide whether your ass likes it or not.   Like I said before its ok for you to be able to slide ok but I can't, I have to put up with it.  Your an idiot!

Ah yes.  Legal or not?  In most cases, who cares and who can prove it?  More importantly, who's got the balls to call somebody out on it.  Do I care if somebody is using a cleaner on his ball between shots.  NO.  It ain't making a difference.  Am I going to have it chemically analyzed if he has it in a plain bottle?  No, and neither are the rest of you.  How many of you have demanded your league officers confiscate a ball that you think is illegally drilled and have it weighed?  Answer?  None.  Most of these rules are for punks or for the BR Prig.

Powder getting on the approaches to me is the only exception.  Somebody can get hurt very bad.