[thecavemaster]

I
I think that some feel that it hurts the younger kids they play against because it is not a level playing field. Also it could hurt the kids that are own your own team that are two years younger than you. Just a thought.

In good AAU tournaments, there is a pretty strict adherence to age requirements (birth certificates and ID required)... and the age groups are single (8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U etc.). Here, the idea is playing "up" if one is skilled enough. I think that is good policy, good practice.