[zeugma]

Rules are rules. The same rules would have allowed him to begin playing a year earlier than most.

Yup. Most likely he'd been held back a year by his parents to make sure he'd be a bigger player. This happens all the time. Looks like they got caught out at it.

[stainlessbanner]

Red-shirting kindergartners for athletic and educational reasons is catching on - I hear lots of folks doing this. In grade school the physical and maturity differences in one year can make a big difference.