U9 soccer age group, 2026-27
U9 for the 2026-27 season is every player born August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018: the players who turn 9 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Under the birth-year rule that ended with 2025-26, U9 was everyone born in 2017. Typical grade: 3rd grade. Your league sets its own registration rules, so its chart wins if it differs.
- Born, 2026-27
- August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018
- Born, 2027-28
- August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019
- 2025-26, old birth-year rule
- Born in 2017
- Typical grade
- 3rd grade
What U9 plays
- Ball
- Size 4
- Field
- 55 to 65 yards long and 35 to 45 yards wide
- Goal
- Up to 6.5 by 18.5 feet
- Goalkeeper
- Yes
- Offside
- Yes, with a build-out line
- Heading
- Deliberate heading not allowed
Field figures are ranges and goal figures are maximums. A league can play smaller.
Field, goal and ball sizes for 7v7Check a birth date, or find U9 near you
The finder is already set to U9. 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 U9 leagues and clubs near you
Youth leagues and clubs within 25 miles that publish ages including U9, then the ones whose ages are not listed or not matched. Each has a button to ask about a U9 spot.
U9 questions
Who is U9 for the 2026-27 season?
Every player born August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018: the players who turn 9 between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Your league's own chart wins if it differs.
What birth year was U9 under the old rule?
For 2025-26, the last season under the birth-year rule, U9 was everyone born in 2017. For 2026-27 the group became August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018, so players born August through December 2017 stayed in U9 for a second season.
What format does U9 play?
U9 plays 7v7 with a size 4 ball on a field 55 to 65 yards long and 35 to 45 yards wide, with goals up to 6.5 by 18.5 feet. There is a goalkeeper, offside applies, a build-out line is used and deliberate heading is not allowed. Source: US Soccer Player Development Initiatives. A league can play smaller than these figures, and many do.
What grade is a U9 player in?
Typically 3rd 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 U9 programs
SoccerMapd lists 127 youth leagues and clubs in 78 cities that publish U9. 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.