If your child plays youth soccer in the United States, their age group is changing next season — and for some families, that means moving to a different team.
Here's what's happening, why, and what it means for your player.
What changed
Youth soccer in the US has moved from a birth-year calendar to a school-year calendar. Starting with the 2026–27 season, the seasonal year runs August 1 through July 31.
Previously, age groups were set by birth year. Everyone born in 2014 played together, regardless of what grade they were in. Now age groups follow the school year, so children generally play with their classmates.
Who this affects most
If your child was born between August and December, this is the change you'll notice.
Under the old system, a player born in October 2014 was grouped with everyone else born in 2014. Under the new one, they move up with their school year — which may mean a different age bracket, and possibly different teammates.
Players born January through July are less likely to see a change.
How to find your child's new age group
U.S. Soccer publishes an official tool. Enter your child's date of birth and it shows their age group for the current cycle.
[LINK TO THE U.S. SOCCER AGE GROUP TOOL]
If your child is changing teams
This is the hard part, and we won't pretend otherwise. Some players will be separated from teammates they've played alongside for years.
If that's your family, a few things worth knowing:
It isn't about your child's ability. The change reflects a calendar, nothing else. A player moving up hasn't been promoted, and a player moving down hasn't been demoted.
It's happening everywhere. Every club in the country is going through this. Your child's friends at other clubs are dealing with the same thing.
