U14 soccer age group, 2026-27
U14 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2012 through July 31, 2013: the players who turn 14 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U14 was everyone born in 2012. Typical grade: 8th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2012 to July 31, 2013
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2013 to July 31, 2014
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2012
- Typical grade
- 8th grade
What U14 plays
- Ball
- Size 5
- Field
- 100 to 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide
- Goal
- Up to 8 by 24 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 11v11Check a birth date, or find U14 near you
The finder is already set to U14. 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 U14 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U14, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U14 spot.
U14 questions
Who is U14 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2012 through July 31, 2013: the players who turn 14 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U14 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U14 was everyone born in 2012. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2012 through July 31, 2013, so players born August through December 2012 stayed in U14 for a second season.
What format does U14 play?
U14 plays 11v11 with a size 5 ball on a field 100 to 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide, with goals up to 8 by 24 feet. There is a goalkeeper, offside applies and heading is allowed. Source: IFAB Laws of the Game, Law 1. A league can play smaller than these figures, and many do.
What grade is a U14 player in?
Typically 8th 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 U14 programs
SoccerMapd lists 234 youth leagues and clubs in 156 cities that publish U14. 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.