What is changing?

U.S. soccer is transitioning from a birth-year based system (January 1 – December 31) to a school-year based system, using an August 1 – July 31 cutoff.

Important timing note

Although the new age groups officially take effect in August 2026, all tryouts and ID sessions for the 2026–27 season will reflect the new August 1 cutoff date. This ensures teams are evaluated, selected, and formed correctly under the new structure from the start.

Why is this change happening?

There are two primary reasons for this shift:

• Better alignment with school-year peer groups - while not identical to every school district’s calendar, the August 1 cutoff more closely aligns players by academic year than the current birth-year model.
• Reducing the number of “trapped players”
• Under the birth-year system, some players are left without a clear team pathway:
  • Players still in middle school while most teammates move on to high school
  • Players remaining after high school seniors graduate, resulting in unstable or non-viable teams
  • The school-year model significantly reduces these situations and creates more consistent team continuity through key transitions.
  • This change is being driven at the national level and will impact clubs across the country, including Beach FC.

An important clarification about grade level

While this model is school-year based, it does not mean that all players will automatically play with others in their exact school grade.

For example:

• U.S. Soccer uses an August 1 cutoff
• Virginia Public Schools use an October 1 cutoff

Because of this difference, some August and September birthdays may fall into different soccer age groups than their school grade. Placement decisions will be based on U.S. Soccer age group guidelines, with player development, team needs, and long-term pathways carefully considered.