NEW AGE GROUP CUTOFFS

Beginning Summer 2026

Starting with the 2026-27 season, U.S. Soccer has directed youth soccer organizations to move to a school-year based age group model, using an August 1 - July 31 cutoff

What's Happening:

US Club is requiring all NorCal Competitions-and therefore all NorCal Clubs-to use the August 1st age cutoff beginning Summer '26

As always, NorCal will allow anyone younger than the cutoff date to play for a team, playing up policies will remain the sole discretion of the clubs themselves. There will be NO exceptions for players born just before the cutoff to play in younger age groups.

Understanding the Change:

Participation

Many kids join soccer to play with their friends.

Splitting school grades in half for soccer leads to kids choosing not to join teams (since they can't play with their friends) and choosing other sports or not being active at all.

Understanding the Change:

Trapped Players

With a large percentage of players on each team being a school year younger than their team mates players were often trapped. For example, 8th graders playing on teams with mostly 9th graders would have nowhere to play over the winter while their teammates played for High School. Juniors on teams with mostly Seniors would be left without a team to play on at all after Graduation.

Understanding the Change:

College Recruiting

Prior to the 2016 change, College Coaches could watch one age group and see all of the players that were in the Grad Year that they were looking to recruit for. In the Calendar Year system, coaches may waste time watching players who are a year older/younger than the grad class that they are targeting. Players may get missed entirely because college coaches don't know what their Grad Year is. With the new cut off, all players on a team will be of the same Graduation Year.