Can men and women play together in pennant? How do open gender and cross gender rules work?

Question

Accepted Answer

Open gender competitions. Open Gender Saturday and Open Gender Thursday pennant have no restrictions for men or women, and players are chosen on merit (skill level, not gender). Women's Tuesday Pennant 2nd Division and below is also open gender, with these limits: opposite gender players can't skip, and no more than two are allowed per rink. A man's Tuesday eligibility depends on his Saturday or Thursday division (for example, men in 2nd Division or higher in Saturday Open Gender can't play Tuesday open gender, and men in 3rd Division may play Tuesday 2nd or 3rd Division). Cross gender substitution. Clubs whose lowest side is in Women's Tuesday 1st Division, Women's Saturday or Women's Friday Night pennant can use cross gender substitutes. A cross gender substitute: can't be selected if eligible players of the opposite gender are available is a substitute, so can play in any position except skip is limited to one per rink. Small clubs. A club with a Bowls Link female membership of fewer than ten and no ladies pennant side can, after telling the Bowls WA CEO before the season, play those women in its home club's designated Thursday pennant competition without restriction. Men's and women's events. Men are not eligible for events designated as women's, and women are not eligible for events designated as men's, other than the open gender and cross gender arrangements above. If these rules are breached, the opposing team may be awarded a forfeit.