tools to assist with the changes to age Group Registration dates
US Soccer Announces age group cutoff change for 2026-2027
For the 2026 / 2027 seasonal year, US Soccer has announced that member organizations may choose the cutoff date for age groups that they feel best fits their needs.
On March 5th 2025 US Youth Soccer (USYS), US Club Soccer, and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) shared a joint announcement that they would be shifting the birth date cutoff from January 1st (birth year) to September 1st (school year). This has since been clarified to be August 1st instead.
As a USYS member, the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association will be aligning with this change. On September 12th The Girls Academy League confirmed that they will be shifting to August 1st as well. MLS Next has not yet indicated what their registration windows will be. The Olympic Developmental Program will keep the previous cutoff date of January 1st.
Some quick notes:
- It is recommended that clubs begin their tryouts with the oldest age groups, as this will eliminate some issues with player acceptances
- Clubs and leagues may not select their own registration cutoff dates (they are not member organizations of US Soccer)
- Players are still able to “play up” however, clubs may wish to implement their own internal rules to limit issues
For the 2026 / 2027 seasonal year, the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association will be changing the cutoff date used for player registration to a window from August 1st to July 31st each year.
Here are some tools that can be used to help your club facilitate a smooth transition:
Age Group Calculator
Determine the required age group for the 2026 – 2027 Seasonal Year (August 1st to July 31st cutoff).
Please enter a birth date to see the age group.
Some quick notes:
- Clubs and leagues may not select their own registration cutoff dates (they are not member organizations of US Soccer)
- Players are still able to “play up” however, clubs may wish to implement their own internal rules to limit issues
- It is recommended that clubs begin their tryouts with the oldest age groups, as this will eliminate some issues with player acceptances
