Following consultation with NJ Youth Soccer Member Leagues and in alignment with the announcement from US Youth Soccer earlier this summer (link), NJ Youth Soccer will change the age group formation cycle from a player’s birth year to closely align with the player’s school year. Starting with the 2026-27 season, age groups will follow an August 1 to July 31 cycle.
This change also updates the youth soccer seasonal year, which will now run from August 1 through July 31.
Please refer to the Updated Age Group Chart to see how players’ birthdates correspond to their new age groups.
The primary goal of this change is to support continued youth participation in soccer by allowing players to compete with their classmates.
While most New Jersey municipalities follow the NJ Department of Education requirement that children may start kindergarten if they turn five by October 1, NJ Youth Soccer is adopting August 1 as the cutoff. This allows clubs’ flexibility to accommodate players who start school later, while maintaining alignment with the USYS age group structure for national competitions.
We recognize this change may require adjustments as clubs plan teams for the 2026-27 season. To support this transition, NJ Youth Soccer will hold office hours in December for clubs to ask questions and discuss any concerns. A schedule with call-in details will be provided later this month. In the meantime, clubs are encouraged to email questions to registration@njyouthsoccer.com.
