2026–27 Age-Group Change

Find Your Player's Soccer Age Group

Enter a birthdate and instantly see where they'll play under the new age-group rules.

Check Age-Group Placement

2026–27 Age Group
What Changed
What to Expect

What's Changing

In recent years, youth soccer in the United States has used a birth-year system to determine age groups and team placements. Beginning with the 2026–27 season, US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, and AYSO will transition to August 1 through July 31 as the seasonal cutoff dates.

The purpose of this change is to better align age groups with school grade levels, giving players more opportunities to play alongside their classmates. This adjustment also aims to reduce the problem of trapped players — those whose birthdays previously placed them at a disadvantage, making it harder to stay in step with their school-year peers during key transitions, such as entering high school.

This shift represents a return to the system used prior to 2017, before US Soccer mandated the birth-year model.

Common Questions

In most cases, no. Your child will shift into the new age group without losing or repeating a full year of soccer.

If your child was born between August 1 and December 31, you'll likely see them placed among the older players in their group. If they were born between January 1 and July 31, they'll typically join a group that includes some slightly older teammates.

For most families, this change means your child will now play alongside their classmates at school.

If your child plays in a league governed by US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, or AYSO, then yes. MLS NEXT's Academy Division is also adopting the new cutoff, though the Homegrown Division will continue using the birth-year system.
The change begins with the 2026–27 season. Fall 2026 tryouts and registrations will follow the new August 1–July 31 age groups.
You'll want to speak directly with your club's recruiting coordinator to map out the right timeline.

Know another soccer parent who's confused about the age-group change?

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