U16 soccer age group, 2026-27
U16 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011: the players who turn 16 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U16 was everyone born in 2010. Typical grade: 10th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2010
- Typical grade
- 10th grade
What U16 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 U16 near you
The finder is already set to U16. 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 U16 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U16, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U16 spot.
U16 questions
Who is U16 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011: the players who turn 16 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U16 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U16 was everyone born in 2010. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2010 through July 31, 2011, so players born August through December 2010 stayed in U16 for a second season.
What format does U16 play?
U16 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 U16 player in?
Typically 10th 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 U16 programs
SoccerMapd lists 162 youth leagues and clubs in 111 cities that publish U16. 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.