Sigh ... age restrictions and monitoring will never happen so long as the powers that be (club lax organizations) benefit (through $, wins and recruited players) from using holdbacks. These guys run the tourneys, have the best teams, fill the showcases, get the recruiting media coverage, coach other teams on other levels,etc. They don't want a level playing field. The NLF is a direct reflection of all that. The day the kids on those teams ever have to disclose their birthdates and play against kids their own age is not happening soon.
Think it could happen but would take people banding together or God forbid a serious injury with an older boy injuring a younger boy safety issue
I made this exact point on another age board - it will happen eventually, bit the question is whether it will be reactively based upon an injury and insurance companies insist upon age-based play in order to obtain coverage at reasonable rates versus a proactive change before such an injury occurs. I also am surprised insurance carriers aren't pushing that now considering the inherent risk the current system presents - they could seriously milk the current system with ridiculously high rates versus offering much lower rates for the alternative age-based approach. Obviously, competition will determine where that goes, but that means that it will likely take a severe injury, and more likely, a wrongful death suit, to bring about this from the carrier POV.
Let's hope sense overcomes everything else
I think the directors could end all of this nonsense. Watching boys two heads larger than others physically beat kids is ridiculous. Are we waiting till a major injury occurs? It sure seems that way, everyone turns a blind eye to it all. Is it cheating NO but it is really stretching the rules in an embarrassing fashion. It was a hot topic on our sideline this week and many of our parents expressed our displeasure on many levels with the older boy who "may be " a 2023 or 2021 or 2022 playing with our express team
weird thing is many of these tournaments are covered by US lacrosse insurance yet US lacrosse rules are very different than the NO rules tournaments. That seems like an issue right there! Forget about this past weekend on LI the tournaments with out of state teams are even more revealing
