U17 soccer age group, 2026-27
U17 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010: the players who turn 17 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U17 was everyone born in 2009. Typical grade: 11th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2009
- Typical grade
- 11th grade
What U17 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 U17 near you
The finder is already set to U17. 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 U17 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U17, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U17 spot.
U17 questions
Who is U17 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010: the players who turn 17 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U17 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U17 was everyone born in 2009. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010, so players born August through December 2009 stayed in U17 for a second season.
What format does U17 play?
U17 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 U17 player in?
Typically 11th 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 U17 programs
SoccerMapd lists 101 youth leagues and clubs in 65 cities that publish U17. 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.