Starting in the fall 2026 season, US Soccer is transitioning from “Birth Year” age grouping (January 1 – December 31), originally implemented in 2017, back to "School Year" age grouping (August 1 – July 31). This change is designed to better align players with their school-grade peers and to support social development, participation, and long-term player growth. These changes from US Soccer are being implemented by all youth clubs and leagues across the country and as a member of US Soccer and CJSA, our club is required to adhere to these new standards. This is not a PSC decision.

Why the change by US Soccer?

There are two reasons for this change that benefit impacted players:

1. One objective of this shift is to align a player’s soccer environment with their social and academic environment. By moving to a school-year model, the majority of our players will now be playing alongside their classmates. This alignment fosters better team chemistry and ensures that the social bonds formed in school are reinforced on the pitch.  As a club, we aim to develop players and teams that will play together for many years, including middle school and high school soccer.  This change will help support that objective.
    
2. Countless studies have found that strongest long-term player development occurs when younger players maximize touches on the ball and decision-making moments.  This means spending as much time as possible in small-field formats (3v3; 5v5; 7v7) scenarios before moving up to 9v9 and 11v11 soccer.  Most countries in Europe and South America use this approach, this is a small shift in that direction for US soccer.

The "Repeat" Year Benefit
One notable aspect of this shift is that players born between August and December will essentially "repeat" an age-group year during this transition. While this might initially seem like a setback, it offers significant developmental advantages:

• Confidence and Leadership: Players who find themselves at the older end of their age bracket often experience a surge in confidence. This allows them to take on leadership roles and become more assertive playmakers.
• Physical and Technical Mastery: An extra year at a certain competitive level allows players to further refine their technical skills and physical coordination before moving up to the next age group.  As noted above, each step up in field size results in fewer engagements in a game so a player with a chance to repeat the 7v7 or 9v9 format will benefit.
• Social Cohesion: For many of these players, this change places them back with their natural grade-level peers, making the overall experience more enjoyable and sustainable.

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration