I have no problem with the rule.
Clean your ball before or after competition if you want but not during.
And I'm tickled to death that nobody is throwing their rosin bags on the ball return covering the approaches and balls. Nationals haven't allowed that for years.
And if it takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk down 30 lanes...... well I'll just leave it at that.
In 45+ years of bowling I can count on one hand the times that some substance got on a ball that could not be removed with a dry towel.
This. Exactly.
It is not a difficult rule to understand or abide by.
If your ball is getting covered in grease or goo regularly during bowling, the issue isn't the rule. The issue is the house. Go to the counter and/or manager and bring it to their attention so they can check the equipment and try and prevent it from happening continually. If the equipment is working correctly, it will reduce the instances of having to get permission to get your ball cleaned with an approved cleaner.
It should never take 15-20 minutes to get a decision on whether a ball can get cleaned with a cleaner or not. Now that the rule is in effect, there is no reason why the league president can't simply have a bottle of USBC listed approved cleaner and a microfiber towel at the ready. Someone asks for approval, the president simply says, "sure, you can use this cleaner and this towel. Clean the ball in front of me right here, right now. If you don't want to use this cleaner and this towel, then you use a dry towel and clean the best you can. Your choice." Should take no more than 2 minutes.
People also need to use common sense. If your ball gets "dirty" after your first shot, just use the ball to pick up your spare and then go seek approval when it isn't your turn. Let the rotation continue while you try to get your ball cleaned. If you are trying to get your ball cleaned between your 1st and 2nd shots in the same frame, shame on you for making several others sit and wait. You should be penalized for delay of game.
The USBC, at the both the local and national level, hosts meetings that can be attended by the general public. Anyone who would like to go to the open meeting and voice their opinion is welcome to do so. At the local level, the open meeting occurs at least once per year. The interesting thing is the public session of our local association is rarely attended by more than a handful of people. For all of the complaining that sanctioned bowlers do about the rules, they do not make efforts to get involved and voice their opinion to the people who can potentially help bring about some sort of change.
USBC National will accept input from any bowler throughout the year via Email or letter. Contact them and let them know your thoughts on the rule. If enough people reach out to them with some well written, compelling thoughts it may at the very least prompt them to re-evaluate the rule.
When you divide it all out, USBC sanctioning turns out to be approximately 40 CENTS per week for the entire year. Contrary to popular belief, the USBC at both the local and national level work hard to make sure that bowlers have organized support to be able to participate in the sport they enjoy. As members, we have a choice to actively contribute to their efforts or we accept their decisions and move on. Life is too short to make so much out of this.
Wait until August 1, 2020 when the balance hole/extra hole rules go into effect. Get your popcorn ready at the lanes, that is going to be really interesting to sit back and watch!