US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, AYSO announce update on Age Group Formation cycle

US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) have announced that they will be transitioning away from a mandated Birth Year age group policy, and into a more flexible policy which was recently outlined by U.S. Soccer, starting with the 2026-27 season.

This week, they’ve announced an official update which will set the new Age Group Formation cycle to run from September 1 – August 31. This was selected to align as closely as possible with the start of a new school year for the majority of athletes around the country. While the Age Group Formation cycle will align closely with the school year, athletes will still be able to play up with older age groups, if desired.

Each of the three major National Associations for youth soccer have been working collaboratively, along with the U.S. Soccer Federation, to establish new standards for Age Group Formation. The trio of youth soccer organizations have stated that they will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

See this week’s announcement below: