Effective for the 2026/27 season, our sanctioning bodies- United States Youth Soccer (USYS), US Club Soccer, and AYSO are going to transition the age group formation cycle from Birth Year (Jan 1st to Dec 31st) back to Seasonal/School Year (August 1st to July 31st) when defining team formation.  For many years teams were formed based upon the Seasonal/School year cycle, and in 2017 the decision was made by our national organization (U.S. Soccer) to change to our current Birth Year cycle. 

We know this decision to change back to School Year team formation could create some concern and we will do everything we can to make the transition smooth for our players and families. Below is information to best help you understand the decision and next steps.

What is Changing: 
Beginning with the 2026-27 season, most youth soccer sanctioning bodies in the United States will return to an August 1st – July 31st age group cutoff (used prior to 2017). This replaced the current January 1st – December 31st (calendar/birth-year) system. 

This change applies nationally and affects nearly all youth soccer players, including clubs and leagues throughout California.

Why this Change is Happening: 

After nearly a decade of operating under a calendar-year registration system, U.S. Soccer and its member organizations reviewed participation data, school alignment and overall player experience. Based upon this review the US Soccer Federation decided to allow sanctioning bodies to determine their own player registration models. The sanctioning bodies that oversee the majority of youth soccer (US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer and AYSO) in the United States chose to transition from a calendar-year systems to a school-year based model with the intent of better serving most youth players. 

Key Reasons Cited: 

• More players with their classmates: Most players will now play with their peers from the same school grade, improving social comfort and enjoyment. 
• Reduced ‘trapped player’ effect: Fewer players will be left without training or teams during middle school and high school years due to school-soccer conflicts. 
• Improved continuity through high school: Teams are more likely to stay intact through graduation transitions.
• Better retention and entry into the sport: Research shows players are more likely to start and stay in soccer when grouped with friends. 
• Important Note: No cutoff system is perfect. Some August born players may still be misaligned with school grade depending on local school policies, but the August 1 cutoff minimizes this issue more effectively then any alternative. 

US Club Soccer Communication: This link provides more information from US Club Soccer on the change: https://usclubsoccer.org/age-group-cut-off-update-for-2026-27-season/

Who made this decision: 

U.S. Soccer Federation (National Governing Body)

• Recognized by FIFA as the governing body for soccer in the United States
• Removed the mandate requiring a January 1^st cutoff in late 2024
• Empowered its member organizations (sanctioning bodies) to choose the age-group structure that best fits the US youth soccer landscape

US Club Soccer (Sanctioning Body of EC Revolution Football Club)

• Along with US Youth Soccer (USYS) and AYSO, evaluated national data and feedback
• Jointly, they all adopted the August 1^st – July 31^st cutoff
• Mandated implementation beginning with the 2026-27 registration year

This decision was made at the national level and applies to all member leagues and clubs. 

Who is responsible for Implementation: Clubs within the sanctioning body

• Clubs must apply the new age-group framework. There is no choice between birth-year and school-year team formation.
• Clubs did not choose the cutoff date and cannot opt out
• Clubs are responsible for:
• Managing the transition at the team level
• Communicating clearly with families
• Supporting players through realignment
• Making roster and pathway decisions within the new structure

What this means for Families:

• This is a national change, not a regional or club-specific decision
• Nearly all youth players in California and across the U.S. are impacted
• Most players now:
• Will train and compete with classmates
• Progress through soccer alongside school peers
• Graduate high school primarily together as an age group team
• Some players may remain in the same age group for one season as part of the transition.

Guiding Principles for Implementation

1. This is a nationally mandated change, not a club choice. This is an external factor.
2. Our responsibility is implementation, not debate over the age group cut-off
3. Our priority is player experience, continuity, and long-term development, and we will adapt our implementation to support players and families through the transition
4. Ensure transparency and clarity in the plan and the process to the membership

Revolution FC Implementation Plan:

• Using our current competitive player pool (over 600 players) our soccer leadership will realign the age groups based upon the new school-year cycle instead of the birth year cycle to understand where players will be placed for the 2026-27 season.
• Begin running the new age group training sessions in March and April to allow players to start building familiarity and camaraderie with each other as we prepare for 2026-27 tryouts starting in May. We are looking to hold a minimum of 3 training sessions for each group of players and begin looking at the number of teams and levels based upon the new player pools.
• Re-Align our coaching staff: We will be assessing our coaching staff and looking to assign coaches where our soccer leadership best feel they will excel in building our teams and players based upon technical, tactical, social, physical and psychological needs. 
• We realize that some age groups may be stronger than others with these changes. We are an ECNL-RL/NPL club and our priority is to maintain strong player pools in each age group.  Where we have groups that need more coaching support we will prioritize providing them with the tools and support they need to grow and develop.
• Continue to provide communication to our membership
• Go through our 2026-27 Tryouts in May and team formation process.
• Playing outside your age group: Our priority is to have players participate within their age group. In select cases soccer leadership will evaluate players to be placed outside of their age group, as the goal is to realign all of the players in our club to the new school-based calendar.
• Prepare for the 2026-27 season through our training, team building, and playing

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