U18 soccer age group, 2026-27
U18 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009: the players who turn 18 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U18 was everyone born in 2008. Typical grade: 12th grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2008
- Typical grade
- 12th grade
What U18 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 U18 near you
The finder is already set to U18. 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 U18 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U18, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U18 spot.
U18 questions
Who is U18 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009: the players who turn 18 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U18 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U18 was everyone born in 2008. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2008 through July 31, 2009, so players born August through December 2008 stayed in U18 for a second season.
What format does U18 play?
U18 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 U18 player in?
Typically 12th 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 U18 programs
SoccerMapd lists 107 youth leagues and clubs in 76 cities that publish U18. 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.