Youth soccer age group calculator
The rule changed for 2026-27. Through 2025-26 a child's group was their birth year; from 2026-27 it is the age they turn between August 1 and July 31, so a group now spans two calendar years and lines up with a school grade. That is why the chart your league emailed last year no longer matches this year's. Enter the birth date to get the 2026-27 group, what changed for that child, and the leagues and clubs near you that take it.
Enter the birth date
2026-27 age group chart
August 1 to July 31 cycle, U4 to U19, with next season alongside. Each group links to its own page.
| Group | Born, 2026-27 | Born, 2027-28 | Typical grade | Plays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U4 | August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 | August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024 | Preschool | 4v4 |
| U5 | August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 | August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 | Pre-K | 4v4 |
| U6 | August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021 | August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 | Kindergarten | 4v4 |
| U7 | August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020 | August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021 | 1st grade | 4v4 |
| U8 | August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 | August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020 | 2nd grade | 4v4 |
| U9 | August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018 | August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 | 3rd grade | 7v7 |
| U10 | August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017 | August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018 | 4th grade | 7v7 |
| U11 | August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 | August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017 | 5th grade | 9v9 |
| U12 | August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 | August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 | 6th grade | 9v9 |
| U13 | August 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014 | August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 | 7th grade | 11v11 |
| U14 | August 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013 | August 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014 | 8th grade | 11v11 |
| U15 | August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 | August 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013 | 9th grade | 11v11 |
| U16 | August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011 | August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 | 10th grade | 11v11 |
| U17 | August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 | August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011 | 11th grade | 11v11 |
| U18 | August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009 | August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 | 12th grade | 11v11 |
| U19 | August 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008 | August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009 | First year after high school | 11v11 |
Save the chart
What changed from 2025-26
2025-26 was the last season under the birth-year rule: one calendar year per group. 2026-27 moved the cutoff to August 1. Players born January through July kept the group the old rule would have given them; players born August through December are one group lower than the old rule would have put them.
| Group | 2025-26, birth year | 2026-27, August 1 cycle | Who this affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| U4 | Born in 2022 | August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 | Born August to December 2022: stayed in U4 for a second season instead of moving to U5. |
| U5 | Born in 2021 | August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 | Born August to December 2021: stayed in U5 for a second season instead of moving to U6. |
| U6 | Born in 2020 | August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021 | Born August to December 2020: stayed in U6 for a second season instead of moving to U7. |
| U7 | Born in 2019 | August 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020 | Born August to December 2019: stayed in U7 for a second season instead of moving to U8. |
| U8 | Born in 2018 | August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 | Born August to December 2018: stayed in U8 for a second season instead of moving to U9. |
| U9 | Born in 2017 | August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018 | Born August to December 2017: stayed in U9 for a second season instead of moving to U10. |
| U10 | Born in 2016 | August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017 | Born August to December 2016: stayed in U10 for a second season instead of moving to U11. |
| U11 | Born in 2015 | August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016 | Born August to December 2015: stayed in U11 for a second season instead of moving to U12. |
| U12 | Born in 2014 | August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015 | Born August to December 2014: stayed in U12 for a second season instead of moving to U13. |
| U13 | Born in 2013 | August 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014 | Born August to December 2013: stayed in U13 for a second season instead of moving to U14. |
| U14 | Born in 2012 | August 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013 | Born August to December 2012: stayed in U14 for a second season instead of moving to U15. |
| U15 | Born in 2011 | August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 | Born August to December 2011: stayed in U15 for a second season instead of moving to U16. |
| U16 | Born in 2010 | August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011 | Born August to December 2010: stayed in U16 for a second season instead of moving to U17. |
| U17 | Born in 2009 | August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010 | Born August to December 2009: stayed in U17 for a second season instead of moving to U18. |
| U18 | Born in 2008 | August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009 | Born August to December 2008: stayed in U18 for a second season instead of moving to U19. |
| U19 | Born in 2007 | August 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008 | Born August to December 2007: stayed in U19 for a second season instead of moving to adult play. |
Which format your child plays
US Soccer's small-sided standards for U6 to U12 and the full-size game from U13. Field figures are ranges and goal figures are maximums; a league can play smaller, and many do.
| Groups | Format | Ball | Field | Goal | Goalkeeper | Offside | Heading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U4 to U8 | 4v4 | Size 3 | 25 to 35 by 15 to 25 yards | 4 by 6 feet | No | No | Not allowed |
| U9 to U10 | 7v7 | Size 4 | 55 to 65 by 35 to 45 yards | 6.5 by 18.5 feet | Yes | Yes | Not allowed |
| U11 to U12 | 9v9 | Size 4 | 70 to 80 by 45 to 55 yards | 7 by 21 feet | Yes | Yes | Allowed |
| U13 to U19 | 11v11 | Size 5 | 100 to 130 by 50 to 100 yards | 8 by 24 feet | Yes | Yes | Allowed |
Questions parents ask
What is the cutoff date for youth soccer age groups?
August 1. From the 2026-27 season, US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO group players by the age they turn between August 1 and July 31. U10 for 2026-27 is everyone born August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2017. Through the 2025-26 season the cutoff was January 1, so a group was a single calendar birth year.
Did the youth soccer age groups change in 2026?
Yes. The birth-year rule used since 2016 ended with the 2025-26 season. US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO announced the change in March 2025 and confirmed the August 1 to July 31 cycle in June 2025, so that teams line up with school grades. 2026-27 is the first season under the new cycle.
My child was born in March. Did they move up?
No. A player born January through July is in the same group the birth-year rule would have given them. The difference is that the group now also holds the players born August through December of the year before, all older, so a January-to-July player sits further down the group's age order than under the old rule. A player born August through December is one group lower than the old rule would have put them, with the classmates in their school grade.
Can a player play up an age group?
It depends on the league. Playing up one group is common and the club decides case by case; playing down, in a younger group, is rarely allowed. Ask the club before you count on either.
Does every league use this chart?
No. Under US Soccer's policy each member organization sets its own registration rules. US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO adopted August 1, and most leagues and clubs under them follow it, but a city rec program, a school league or an independent academy can run its own cutoff. The league's own chart is the one that counts, so check it before you register.
What does U10 mean in youth soccer?
Under 10: the players who turn 10 during the seasonal year, so for 2026-27 everyone born August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2017. A U10 is nine or ten years old during the season. The groups run from U4 to U19.
How do I find a U10 league near me?
Enter your ZIP in the finder under the calculator. It lists the youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including your child's group, then the ones that do not list ages at all, each with a button to ask the club directly. You can also browse youth soccer leagues and soccer clubs by city.
Sources: US Youth Soccer, Updated Decision on Age Group Formation (June 10, 2025); US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO returning to seasonal-year age groups (March 5, 2025); US Club Soccer, Registration: Player Age Groups. Field and ball figures from US Soccer's Player Development Initiatives and IFAB Law 1.