In ALL the HUGE number of conversations about holdbacks, I have yet to see anyone make a case for why it's a good system. The best folks can do is insult the parents and their kids who play on-age ("Hit the wall" "Get better").
No rational person who cared about the kids would design a club system with holdbacks. The ONLY reason it is done is to make it easier for college coaches to attend recruiting events.
The best system would be for the kids to advance to the next age bracket on their birthday but no one cares, especially the colleges. They want the biggest, fastest, strongest and most skilled players and those are usually the kids who are older.
