I have personally officiated a regional qualifier or national qualifier (whatever they actually called it), where the winner of the tournament moves on and everyone else stays home. These games were never just "laid back" at any time. These were just as intense if not sometimes more intense than many HS games I had done. And we were never allowed to just allow things like 5 on 4 just for the hell of it. We had to adhere to the rules, because if we did not the assignors or tournament directors would not allow us to officiate these games at all (not that this is a bad thing
). And I have done local tournaments where AAU teams from all over the country come in to play for prizes and money. Lebron James broke his wrist at an AAU Tournament that I have done in past years, last year. These AAU teams take hundred of dollars to run and enter tournaments. They are not just going to go along with stuff that is not apart of the rules if they know it should not be allowed (and I am talking about their knowledge of course). But that is the way it is here. Just like any discussion, it could be different in other areas of the country.
Peace