Big Changes to Youth Soccer Age Groups — Here’s What It Means for Your Player
Starting with the 2026–2027 season, youth soccer is moving from calendar-year age groups to a school-year system. The new cutoff is August 1 – July 31, which means your player’s age group may shift.
What does this mean for my kid?
If your player was born August through December, they’ll generally stay in their current age group (or move to a younger one). If born January through July, they’ll generally move up. The goal is simple: kids play with their school-grade peers.
Find Your Player’s Age Group
Age groups use the new August 1 – July 31 birth date cutoff for the 2026-2027 season.
| Age Group | Birth Date Range |
|---|---|
| U6 | Aug 1, 2020 – Jul 31, 2021 |
| U7 | Aug 1, 2019 – Jul 31, 2020 |
| U8 | Aug 1, 2018 – Jul 31, 2019 |
| U9 | Aug 1, 2017 – Jul 31, 2018 |
| U10 | Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2017 |
| U11 | Aug 1, 2015 – Jul 31, 2016 |
| U12 | Aug 1, 2014 – Jul 31, 2015 |
| U13 | Aug 1, 2013 – Jul 31, 2014 |
| U14 | Aug 1, 2012 – Jul 31, 2013 |
| U15 | Aug 1, 2011 – Jul 31, 2012 |
| U16 | Aug 1, 2010 – Jul 31, 2011 |
| U17 | Aug 1, 2009 – Jul 31, 2010 |
| U18 | Aug 1, 2008 – Jul 31, 2009 |
| U19 | Aug 1, 2007 – Jul 31, 2008 |
How Blast Is Handling It
We’re fully implementing the new guidelines from US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer. A few things to know:
- Players can play up but cannot play down
- Tryouts still drive placement — our coaches evaluate each player’s skill, development, and readiness
- Your player will be placed where they’ll grow, compete, and have fun
Questions?
Talk to your coach about how this may affect your player, or email us at blastsoccerclubutah@gmail.com.