Age Group cut off date
The age cut-off is on 1 April
At the beginning of the 2019/20 cricket season, Auckland Cricket changed junior and youth cricket grades from school year (e.g. Year 5) to age grades (e.g. Under 10).
How it Works
The key to these age-grade systems is that the age is "frozen" on a specific date for the entire season. This ensures that every player in a grade is the same age (or close to it) and that teams don't have players moving up mid-season.
- "If you turn 10 before the end of March you play U11." If your 10th birthday is on March 31st or earlier, you are already 10 on the April 1st cutover date. Therefore, you are no longer "Under 10" and will be placed in the U11 grade.
- "if you turn 10 in April you play U10." If your 10th birthday is on April 1st or later, you are still 9 on the April 1st cutover date. Since you are "Under 10" on that date, you are eligible for the U10 grade for the entire season.
Based on the age cutover date of April 1st for cricket in New Zealand, here is a table to explain which grade a player would be in:
|
Birthday Date |
Age on 1st April Cutover |
Grade to Play |
|
On or before 31st March |
10 years old |
Under 11 (U11) |
|
On or after 1st April |
10 years old |
Under 10 (U10) |
The table illustrates that a player's grade is determined by their age on the cutover date of April 1st. If a player is already 10 on that date, they are no longer "Under 10" and will play in the Under 11 grade. Conversely, if they have not yet turned 10, they are considered "Under 10" and play in that grade for the season.
A Bit of History
Auckland Cricket transitioned from school-year-based junior and youth grades (e.g., Year 5, Year 6) to an age-based system (e.g., Under 10, Under 11) at the beginning of the 2019/20 cricket season. Check out Auckland Cricket's "School Years vs. Age Groups" document
