My child is young/old for their grade — who will they play with?  Players are placed in divisions based on their birthdate within the August 1–July 31 registration year. This usually means children will play with many of their classmates and peers. However, if a child is older or younger than typical for their grade, they may be placed in a division with players from a nearby grade level.  

Can my child request to play up or play down?  Our goal is to place players in the division that best matches their age group. While most players will remain in their assigned division, the region may consider exceptions for players in limited situations, such as safety, or individual development needs, and would need regional board approval. Please email [email protected] with a specific request.

Will teams still be balanced fairly?  Yes. AYSO remains committed to our core philosophy of balanced teams so that games are fun and competitive for all players. We use a carefully curated team formation process to distribute players as evenly as possible based on age, experience, and skill level.  

Are all sports teams shifting to a school year based calendar system? AYSO, US Youth Soccer, and US Club Soccer are moving to a school-year age group registration year system beginning with the 2026–2027 season. We don't have any information on other sports organizations, and would encourage people to inquire directly with any other sport's governing body. 

According to the age group chart, my child will play in ___ division for a 3rd year in a row. Is that OK? Yes. There will be kids who play in the same division 3 years in a row with this realignment of age groups.