Soccer Age Groups Explained (2026-27, with Calculator)
Starting with the 2026-27 season, US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer group players from August 1 to July 31 instead of by calendar year, to match school-year peers. Most kids simply move up as usual. Kids born between August and December may stay in the same age group one more season — that’s the switch working as intended, not a mistake. Not every league uses this cutoff, so check yours. Already know your level? See our youth soccer levels guide for rec, travel, premier and academy.
What changed for the 2026-27 season?
For years, US youth soccer registered players by calendar year: whatever age a child would turn by December 31 set their group for that season. Starting with the 2026-27 season, US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer jointly moved to a school-year cycle instead — August 1 through July 31 — “to better align players with their school-grade peers,” as the three organizations put it in their 2025 announcement.
That change isn’t a single national mandate, though. US Soccer’s own December 2024 decision lets each member organization choose the registration year for the leagues it sanctions or runs — calendar year, an August 1 cutoff, or a September 1 cutoff — and notes a different option could be appropriate at the recreation level. USYS, AYSO and US Club all landed on August 1. If your league isn’t part of these organizations — a YMCA program, an independent league, a parish league — it sets its own rules; check with it rather than assuming.
If a chart or a club page you find online shows a different date, check when it was published — league pages don’t always catch every update right away.
Why is my child staying in the same age group this year?
This is the single most confusing part of the switch, so here’s a worked example. Take a child born in October 2020. Under the old calendar-year system, the 2025-26 season math was straightforward: age group number = year the season ends minus birth year, so 2026 − 2020 = U6. Under the new August 1–July 31 cycle, a birth month of October (August–December) still counts toward 2026, so the math comes out the same: 2026 − 2020 = U6 again.
In most leagues that made this switch, kids born between August and December may stay in the same U age group one more season, while kids born January through July move up as usual, same as always. That’s a direct result of swapping the cutoff date, not a league losing track of anyone — and it’s worth saying again to the coach who asks why half the team “didn’t move up”: nothing went wrong.
Find your child’s 2026-27 age group
Enter a birth date below and the calculator shows the age group for the 2026-27 season under the August 1–July 31 cutoff used by USYS, AYSO and US Club Soccer. It also flags where a league groups ages together — AYSO’s 8U, for example, spans two birth years rather than one. The calculator runs in your browser: the birth date you enter isn’t sent to us or stored.
That covers most leagues, but not all of them. North Texas is the clearest exception: its rules still run on a December 31 cutoff, so the calculator won’t compute a number for it — check directly with North Texas Soccer instead. For every league, this is a guide, not a registration decision; your own club’s registration page has the final word, and so does U.S. Soccer’s own age group calculator, which carries the same caution: “the results are intended as a guide; please consult your club, league, or organization member.”
2026-27 soccer age chart
This chart is for leagues that use the August 1 cutoff and one birth year per age group, like Cal South’s 2026-27 matrix. The U number is the age your child turns during the season year, between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027.
| Age group | Born between |
|---|---|
| U5 | August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022 |
| U6 | August 1, 2020 – July 31, 2021 |
| U7 | August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020 |
| U8 | August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2019 |
| U9 | August 1, 2017 – July 31, 2018 |
| U10 | August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2017 |
| U11 | August 1, 2015 – July 31, 2016 |
| U12 | August 1, 2014 – July 31, 2015 |
| U13 | August 1, 2013 – July 31, 2014 |
| U14 | August 1, 2012 – July 31, 2013 |
| U15 | August 1, 2011 – July 31, 2012 |
| U16 | August 1, 2010 – July 31, 2011 |
| U17 | August 1, 2009 – July 31, 2010 |
| U18 | August 1, 2008 – July 31, 2009 |
| U19 | August 1, 2007 – July 31, 2008 |
Two checks before you rely on it: some leagues put two birth years in one group (AYSO does from 8U up, below), and North Texas still uses December 31. The dates move forward one year every season. We checked the cutoff dates of several rows against U.S. Soccer’s age group calculator in October 2026.
How AYSO groups birth years for 2026-27
AYSO puts two birth years in each group from 8U up; its 6U and 19U cover one year each.
| Group | Born between |
|---|---|
| U6 | August 1, 2020 – July 31, 2021 |
| U8 | August 1, 2018 – July 31, 2020 |
| U10 | August 1, 2016 – July 31, 2018 |
| U12 | August 1, 2014 – July 31, 2016 |
| U14 | August 1, 2012 – July 31, 2014 |
| U16 | August 1, 2010 – July 31, 2012 |
| U18 | August 1, 2008 – July 31, 2010 |
| U19 | August 1, 2007 – July 31, 2008 |
Cal South, a different USYS state association, does it differently: it groups by a single birth year per age, as in the chart above, rather than AYSO’s two-year bands. That’s one real reason a child who’s “7U” under one association can end up grouped with older kids as part of another’s combined 8U — not an error, just a different way of slicing the same birth dates.
Does every league use the same cutoff?
No — and this is the table worth bookmarking.
| Organization | Cutoff for 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| US Youth Soccer (USYS) | July 31 (Rule 104) |
| AYSO | August 1 |
| US Club Soccer | August 1 |
| North Texas (USYS state association) | ⚠️ Still December 31 |
USYS’s own rules allow a state association to vary the national cutoff, so North Texas isn’t breaking any higher rule by keeping its own date — it’s using an option the system allows. And beyond USYS’s own family of leagues, U.S. Soccer’s December 2024 decision lets any member organization choose calendar year, August 1 or September 1. Check your league’s registration page — it has the final word, not this article or any chart you find online.
U6 or 6U — does it matter?
No. “U6,” “6U” and “Under 6” all mean the same thing. US Youth Soccer, Cal South, North Texas and most state associations write “6U” or “8U”; AYSO switched its referee materials to “U6”/“U8” in a 2026 update, though plenty of AYSO regional pages still say “8U.” If you see both, that’s just two organizations’ house style, not two different programs.
Not sure which cutoff applies to your child?
Skip the guesswork and go to the source: your league’s or club’s own registration page will state its cutoff, usually right next to the age group chart for the upcoming season. A team manager or club registrar can also confirm it in a sentence. Be cautious with charts you find through a general search — the cutoff changed for 2026-27, and a chart posted even a few months ago may already be out of date. When in doubt, use the calculator above for USYS, AYSO or US Club leagues, or U.S. Soccer’s own tool linked above, and confirm with your league before you treat either as final.
FAQ
What age is U6 soccer in 2026-27? In leagues using the August 1 cutoff (USYS, AYSO, US Club), U6 is for kids born between August 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021.
What age is U8 soccer in 2026-27? It depends on the organization. AYSO’s 8U spans two birth years, August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2020. Cal South’s 8U is a single birth year, August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019. USYS defines 8U simply as “8 years of age and under,” without a separate 7U.
What does U10 mean in soccer? U10 (or 10U) is short for “under 10”: it’s the group for players who turn 10 during the season year. For 2026-27, in leagues using the August 1 cutoff, that’s kids born between August 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017. Leagues that combine two birth years stretch it: AYSO’s 10U runs from August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2018. Every other U number works the same way — see the chart above.
Why did I read September 1 somewhere? Some older or cached pages may show a different date than the one that stuck. In June 2025, US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer announced the August 1 – July 31 cycle starting in 2026-27 — that’s the date to go with. If a page you’re reading doesn’t match, check when it was last updated.
Is the age cutoff the same in every state? No. North Texas still uses December 31, and USYS rules allow other state associations to set their own variations too. Always check your specific league’s registration page rather than assuming a national standard applies.
Sources
- US Youth Soccer (USYS), Policy on Players and Playing Rules, Rule 104 (as of June 23, 2026) — usyouthsoccer.org
- US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer, “Updated Decision on Age Group Formation” (June 10, 2025) — usyouthsoccer.org
- AYSO, Age Group Chart, Starting Fall 2026 Season (February 11, 2026) — ayso.org
- U.S. Soccer, player registration decision (December 20, 2024) — via ussoccer.com
- North Texas Soccer (NTSSA), Bylaws and Rules 2026/2027 — ntxsoccer.org
- Cal South, 2026-27 PDI Matrix — calsouth.com
Age group calculator (2026-27 season)
For leagues using the August 1 – July 31 cutoff (US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer). Your child's birth date stays on your device: nothing is sent or saved.
This is a guide, not a registration decision. Your league may group ages differently, and North Texas still uses a December 31 cutoff. Confirm with your club or league, or check U.S. Soccer's official age group tool.
Peter D. — Peter D. is KickZone’s editor. Based in Spain and closely involved in grassroots youth soccer there, Peter turns the way Spanish kids learn the game into practical help for US parents and volunteer coaches. Rules always come straight from the official rulebooks, cited.