U12 soccer age group, 2026-27
U12 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015: the players who turn 12 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U12 was everyone born in 2014. Typical grade: 6th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2014
- Typical grade
- 6th grade
What U12 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 U12 near you
The finder is already set to U12. 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 U12 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U12, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U12 spot.
U12 questions
Who is U12 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015: the players who turn 12 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U12 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U12 was everyone born in 2014. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015, so players born August through December 2014 stayed in U12 for a second season.
What format does U12 play?
U12 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 U12 player in?
Typically 6th 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 U12 programs
SoccerMapd lists 265 youth leagues and clubs in 167 cities that publish U12. 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.