US Soccer plots massive change that would affect youth system

The fractured youth system in US Soccer is subject to yet another change with the risk of breaking up existing teams. On Nov. 22, US Soccer will put a new ruling into effect that changes the age groups for soccer. Currently, the cutoff for each year is Jan. 1. In other words, those born from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 will be in the same age group.

Previously, the age group applied to the school years in the United States. In 2016, the USSF changed the youth soccer system cutoff from Aug. 1 to the current system. The argument was that it kept it simple as to what kids played in certain years. That is standard for Europe, which uses the calendar year as the cutoff, meaning it is Jan. 1. However, this is not fully in practice. For example, England and the United Kingdom use cutoff points that pertain to school years. In the UK, the cutoff for youth soccer teams is Sep. 1 to Aug. 31.

That applies to the major critics of the move to go back to the school years. Around the globe, using Jan. 1 as the cutoff is standard. FIFA, which hosts various youth tournaments for men’s and women’s soccer, applies the Jan. 1 cutoff to its tournaments. At the 2023 U-20 World Cup, players born between Jan. 1, 2003, and Dec. 31, 2007, were eligible to compete. US Soccer adjusting its youth system for age groups could throw off potential chemistry among players in other parts of the world.

That said, US Soccer identified several reasons why it is reverting to the school-based system. For one, there is an issue of “trapped” players in the calendar-based system. Players born at the beginning of the year are in a different school grade than those at the end of the year. That can contribute to isolation from peers and teammates. In many cases, other activities in the United States revolve around the school calendar. Going to the school system can also increase participation, according to US Soccer.

Change to US Soccer youth system could lead to further disruption

Arguments for and against the calendar system and the school-based system both make sense. Even though the option of using the calendar is more widespread, it may be more user-friendly for young soccer players to associate their age group with those they go to school with. Regardless, pivoting the format is another instance of US Soccer getting in its own way.

Changing the youth system will lead to disruption of existing young soccer teams and how they will advance over time. Teams that currently exist will struggle to adjust to a system that uses different age parameters. There have been several reactions, both major and minor, to how this will affect soccer in the United States. We are only eight years removed from changing the system away from the school-based cutoff dates. Now, soccer organizations and clubs across the country must revert their systems to accommodate US Soccer’s failure to maintain one direction.

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