Structure

Age Group Formation Cycle

The dates a league uses to decide which age group a birthday falls in.

From the 2026-27 season US Soccer permits three cycles: calendar birth year, August 1 to July 31, or September 1 to August 31. Each organization chooses, so two clubs in one town can put the same child in different age groups. Under an August or September cutoff, an autumn birthday sits one number lower than the birth-year label.

Related terms

Birth-Year Registration
Grouping players by calendar birth year, January to December.
Age Group
A division named by maximum age, e.g. "U13" means under-13.
Seasonal Year
The 12-month cycle a soccer "season" actually spans.

All terms

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