New age groups begin for the 2026-2027 season.
Earlier this year, the national governing bodies of youth soccer in the United States — including U.S. Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and U.S. Soccer — announced a transition to an August 1 – July 31 age group classification model.
Beginning with the 2026–2027 seasonal year, youth soccer organizations across the country will determine age group eligibility using this August 1 – July 31 birthdate window. The intent is to create greater alignment and consistency across competitions nationwide.
As the state member association, the Maryland State Youth Soccer Association (MSYSA) will implement this transition across Maryland. As an MSYSA-affiliated club, Juventus Academy DC Metro must follow this updated structure.
Why This Change?
This transition is intended to support players in meaningful and practical ways, both on and off the field: fewer players "caught in between" a calendar-year cutoff, stronger social connections with school-year peers, better alignment with the school year, increased enjoyment and long-term engagement, and greater consistency across youth soccer nationally.
What This Means For Your Player:
For the 2026–2027 seasonal year, players will be grouped based on the new August 1 – July 31 cutoff window. As a result, some players may move into a different age group compared to prior seasons.
The new age group structure begins with registration and team formation for the 2026–2027 season, beginning with Fall 2026 Tryouts. The current 2025–2026 season remains under the current age group structure for the Spring 2026 season. Tryouts for the 2026/2027 season will begin in April 2026; information on player placement will be published within 2 weeks of final tryouts, and 2026/2027 tryout dates will be posted by the beginning of April.
Players born between August and December are most likely to experience the most noticeable shift under the new structure. In many cases, these players will remain in their current age group for 2026–2027 rather than moving up as they would have under the previous model. For example, a player born in October 2016 (currently U10) would remain in the U10 age group for 2026–2027 under the updated guidelines.
All tryouts will be on-age, meaning all players will attend tryouts and compete for positions on teams according to the new age group guidelines. In certain cases, players may be considered for placement outside their designated age group if it aligns with our existing player development philosophy — these decisions are made thoughtfully by our coaching staff in collaboration with club leadership, with the player's long-term growth and best interest as the primary focus.
If you have general questions about this transition, email info@juventusdcmetro.com. More info on the age windows and an age group calculator can be found at msysa.org.
