My child turns 13 only in November and the tournament is in June. Can my child play in the Under 13 category? This is the sort of query that I get at least a dozen times a year. How can we find out whether a player is eligible to play in a particular age category in a tournament?
The various age categories for juniors are Under 11, Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 years.
The eligibility calculation is based not on the DATE of birth, but only on the YEAR of birth. The simple logic is that the age of a player should not reach or exceed the specified age in the category any time during the YEAR in which the tournament is held.
Here is the simple formula to find out the eligible age categories.
YEAR in which tournament is held - YEAR of Birth + 1 = Lowest eligible age category
Example 1:
YEAR in which tournament is held = 2019
YEAR of Birth = 2005
2019 – 2005 + 1 = 15
The lowest age category for which the player is eligible is Under 15 years. The player is also eligible for the higher age categories (Under 17 and Under 19).
Example 2:
YEAR in which tournament is held = 2019
YEAR of Birth = 2004
2019 – 2004 + 1 = 16
There is no Under 16 age category. So the lowest age category for which the player is eligible is the next age category - Under 17 years. The player is also eligible for the higher age category (Under 19).
