U11 soccer age group, 2026-27
U11 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2016: the players who turn 11 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U11 was everyone born in 2015. Typical grade: 5th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2016 to July 31, 2017
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2015
- Typical grade
- 5th grade
What U11 plays
- Ball
- Size 4
- Field
- 70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide
- Goal
- Up to 7 by 21 feet
- Goalkeeper
- Yes
- Offside
- Yes
- Heading
- Allowed
Field figures are ranges and goal figures are maximums. A league can play smaller.
Field, goal and ball sizes for 9v9Check a birth date, or find U11 near you
The finder is already set to U11. Enter a ZIP to see the youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that take it, and ask any of them about a spot.
Find U11 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U11, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U11 spot.
U11 questions
Who is U11 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2016: the players who turn 11 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U11 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U11 was everyone born in 2015. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2016, so players born August through December 2015 stayed in U11 for a second season.
What format does U11 play?
U11 plays 9v9 with a size 4 ball on a field 70 to 80 yards long and 45 to 55 yards wide, with goals up to 7 by 21 feet. There is a goalkeeper, offside applies and heading is allowed. Source: US Soccer Player Development Initiatives. A league can play smaller than these figures, and many do.
What grade is a U11 player in?
Typically 5th grade. The August 1 cycle was chosen to line up with school years, but kindergarten cutoffs vary by state (many are September 1, not August 1), so a player born in August can be in a different grade from most of the group.
Cities with the most U11 programs
SoccerMapd lists 130 youth leagues and clubs in 84 cities that publish U11. Each city page shows the ages every listing publishes.
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.