Organisers have already pushed the Ovens and Murray pennant start date back a month as rates of double-vaccination in NSW and Victoria creep towards the 80 percent mark required for community sport to resume.

Weekend pennant is due to begin on November 6, with the midweek competition launching three days later, but the state of play south of the border will be key.

"It's going to be touch-and-go," pennant co-ordinator Noel Murrell said.

"I think NSW is going to be right because they're pushing through but we're a little bit worried about whether Victoria will be ready.

"They were supposed to release something last week, Bowls Victoria were supposed to advise us and were supposed to get advice from the Victorian Government but that hasn't been forthcoming.

"If that doesn't happen and we don't get under way on November 6, we won't be able to get away before Christmas. It's too big a gap and we'll run into Christmas.

"If that happens, our fall-back plan is to start in January and we'll only play one round.

"We don't want to start, only play three or four weeks and then have to have the Christmas break. That's not going to work for us.

"The other big problem is that if they open up around Christmas, you might find some bowlers want to get away for a while and that's going to have an impact on us as well."

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Entries are up on this time last year but concerns around COVID remain across the O and M region.

"There is hesitancy among some of the older players," Murrell said.

"Some clubs have advised me that unless people are double-vaccinated, some of their older players don't wish to play.

"But in general, there seems to be a lot more keenness to get back on the greens this year."

Clubs have decided to continue playing 21 ends, as per last season, straight through without a tea break.

The proposal to shrink teams in the A division from 16 to 12 players was rejected as part of a club survey.

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