<p>Following last month’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-soccer-plots-massive-change-that-would-affect-youth-system/">report</a> that US Soccer was considering a plan to break up youth soccer teams based on birth year, a new report reveals that the US Soccer Federation has backed down and will leave it up to the individual leagues to decide.</p>



<p>The proposed reversal would have changed the age groups for soccer. Currently, the cutoff for each year is January 1. In other words, those born from January 1 to December 31 are in the same age group. Under the proposed plan, players would have been separated into teams based on the different school grade levels.</p>



<p>However, instead of establishing a nationwide policy, the US Soccer Federation is launching a new system where leagues and soccer organizers can make their own decisions.</p>



<h2>The decision reached by US Soccer</h2>



<p>Nick Webster, chairman of Cal-South, told <em>Inside World Football</em>, “Starting in the fall of 2026, members and leagues will have reasonable flexibility to choose the best registration option for their participants meaning they can choose between birth year or school year for the 2026-2027 season.</p>



<p>“There’ll be no change for the 2025-26 season giving clubs and leagues the time to transition to the system that best suits their membership and ecosystem, thereby providing the best experience for all participants.”</p>



<p>Webster is responsible for the creation and implementation of youth soccer programs throughout Southern California.</p>



<p>Webster writes that US Soccer has “missed the opportunity to create a coherent structure, ceding their leadership&nbsp;to ‘mom and pop’ organizations to dictate American soccer – surely a recipe for continued disaster.”</p>



<h2>Why US Soccer wanted to change the policy in the first place</h2>



<p>US Soccer identified several reasons why it wanted to revert 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 could have also increased participation, according to <a href="https://ussoccer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Soccer</a>.</p>



<p>Around the globe, using January 1 as the cutoff is standard. FIFA, which hosts various youth tournaments for men’s and women’s soccer, applies the January 1 cutoff to its tournaments. At the&nbsp;<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/u-20-world-cup-schedule-features-usa-in-action-20230516-WST-433098.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023 U-20 World Cup</a>, players born between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007, were eligible to compete.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2>New decision shows US Soccer’s lack of leadership</h2>



<p>As Webster perfectly sums it up, the new decision made by US Soccer to let the leagues decide whether to choose birth year or school year “re-enforces the USSF’s total disregard for taking leadership in the youth game. Instead of being a voice of reason for the millions of youth players, it has thrown a problem back to the capitalistic club owners that run the youth game.”</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>

US Soccer backs down from birth year change for youth soccer

US Soccer backs down from birth year change for youth soccer - World Soccer Talk

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<p>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. </p>



<p>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. </p>



<p>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 <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/u-20-world-cup-schedule-features-usa-in-action-20230516-WST-433098.html">2023 U-20 World Cup</a>, 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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20241022_WST_536387_US-Soccer-age-groups-1200x675_55c7faab.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-536412" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-300x169.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-768x432.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-740x416.jpg 740w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-490x275.jpg 490w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups-250x140.jpg 250w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/10/US-Soccer-age-groups.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



<h2>Change to US Soccer youth system could lead to further disruption</h2>



<p>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 <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fifa-president-infantino-says-usa-has-to-end-pay-to-play-system/">getting in its own way</a>.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>

US Soccer plots massive change that would affect youth system

The fractured youth system in US Soccer is subject to yet another change that has the risk of breaking up existing teams.

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US Soccer backs down from birth year change for youth soccer

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US Soccer plots massive change that would affect youth system