US Soccer Age Changes Beginning 2026-27 Season

Starting in Fall 2026, U.S. Soccer is allowing youth leagues to move away from the traditional calendar birth year system (January 1–December 31) and instead use a school-year-based system (August 1–July 31). This change gives youth leagues the option to align age groupings more closely with the school calendar rather than the calendar year. The changes were made to (a) better align soccer age groups with school-year groupings, (b) reduce disruption for players and families, (c) create a more positive and consistent experience for youth players.