ColoradoYouth soccer age groups for 2026-27: birth date chart and lookup
Starting with the 2026-27 season, youth soccer age groups run from August 1 to July 31, not January 1 to December 31. US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO made the switch together, and Colorado Soccer Association (CSA) publishes the same chart. The idea is that most kids now play with their school-grade classmates.
Look up your child's age group
Enter a birth date to see the age group.
2026-27 age group chart
Find the row with your child's birth date. The next-season column shows where the same child plays in 2027-28.
| Age group (2026-27) | Born between | 2027-28 group | Players | Ball size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U5 | Aug 1, 2021 – Jul 31, 2022 | U6 | 4v4 | 3 |
| U6 | Aug 1, 2020 – Jul 31, 2021 | U7 | 4v4 | 3 |
| U7 | Aug 1, 2019 – Jul 31, 2020 | U8 | 4v4 | 3 |
| U8 | Aug 1, 2018 – Jul 31, 2019 | U9 | 4v4 | 3 |
| U9 | Aug 1, 2017 – Jul 31, 2018 | U10 | 7v7 | 4 |
| U10 | Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2017 | U11 | 7v7 | 4 |
| U11 | Aug 1, 2015 – Jul 31, 2016 | U12 | 9v9 | 4 |
| U12 | Aug 1, 2014 – Jul 31, 2015 | U13 | 9v9 | 4 |
| U13 | Aug 1, 2013 – Jul 31, 2014 | U14 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U14 | Aug 1, 2012 – Jul 31, 2013 | U15 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U15 | Aug 1, 2011 – Jul 31, 2012 | U16 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U16 | Aug 1, 2010 – Jul 31, 2011 | U17 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U17 | Aug 1, 2009 – Jul 31, 2010 | U18 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U18 | Aug 1, 2008 – Jul 31, 2009 | U19 | 11v11 | 5 |
| U19 | Aug 1, 2007 – Jul 31, 2008 | Ages out | 11v11 | 5 |
Ranges match CSA's published 2026-27 age group chart and US Club Soccer's season matrix. Some clubs group U18 and U19 together (for example Real Colorado lists "U18/19").
What changed, and which kids it affects
- Born January to July: nothing changes. Your child is in the same age group the old birth-year rule would have given them.
- Born August to December: your child lands one age group younger than under the old rule, so many will stay in the same U-number in 2026-27 that they had in 2025-26. For example, a child born in September 2015 was U11 in 2025-26 and is U11 again in 2026-27, while a child born in March 2015 moves from U11 to U12.
- Clubs are handling the switch in different ways. Real Colorado, for example, says it won't make high-school-age players move down a group, and it is aligning players born in 2013 and later with the new groups. Ask your club how it is forming teams before tryouts.
The exception: MLS NEXT Homegrown
MLS NEXT kept birth-year age groups (January 1 to December 31) for its Homegrown Division, the top tier that includes MLS club academies. Its Academy Division moved to August 1 to July 31 like everyone else. In Colorado, the clubs in our database that list MLS NEXT Homegrown teams are Colorado Rapids Academy and ALBION SC Boulder County. See ECNL vs MLS NEXT for how the leagues differ.
Game format and ball size by age
US Soccer sets the maximum game format for each age: 4v4 through U8, 7v7 for U9 and U10, 9v9 for U11 and U12, and full 11v11 from U13. Smaller formats can also be played at any age.
| Age group | Players | Goalkeepers | Ball size | Field (length × width) | Game length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U6–U8 | 4v4 | No | 3 | 25–35 × 15–25 yd | 4 × 10 min |
| U9–U10 | 7v7 | Yes | 4 | 55–65 × 35–45 yd | 2 × 25 min |
| U11–U12 | 9v9 | Yes | 4 | 70–80 × 45–55 yd | 2 × 30 min |
| U13–U14 | 11v11 | Yes | 5 | Full size | 2 × 35 min |
| U15–U16 | 11v11 | Yes | 5 | Full size | 2 × 40 min |
| U17–U19 | 11v11 | Yes | 5 | Full size | 2 × 45 min |
- Build-out line: used in 7v7 (U9 and U10). When the keeper has the ball, the other team has to drop back behind it so kids learn to play out from the back. Keepers can't punt in 7v7.
- Heading: not allowed in games through U11. It's allowed from U12.
- Offside: not called in 4v4. It starts at 7v7.
- In Colorado: CSA's recreational Front Range League plays 9v9 from 11U through 14U. In CSA's competitive Advanced League, 11U and 12U play 9v9 and 13U and up play 11v11. All CSA league teams 10U and younger play in the Front Range League.
Game lengths and field sizes are the US Soccer standard as published in the 2026-27 player development matrix. Leagues and tournaments can set their own rules, so check your league's rules for exact times.
Sources: www.coloradosoccer.org · www.coloradosoccer.org · usclubsoccer.org · www.usyouthsoccer.org · www.ussoccer.com · www.mlssoccer.com · www.ussoccer.com · calsouth.com · www.coloradosoccer.org · www.coloradosoccer.org · www.realcolorado.net
Last checked 2026-10-20. We re-check this chart every August when the season rolls over. See an error? Email a correction.
Next steps: Colorado tryouts calendar · Colorado club costs by tier · Rec vs development vs competitive · High school vs club · Leagues explained
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FAQ
What age group is my child in for 2026-27?
Find the row that contains your child's birth date: U10 is born Aug 1, 2016 to Jul 31, 2017, U12 is Aug 1, 2014 to Jul 31, 2015, and so on. The lookup on this page does it for you.
Why did youth soccer age groups change?
US Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer and AYSO moved from birth year (Jan 1 to Dec 31) to an Aug 1 to Jul 31 cutoff starting with the 2026-27 season, to line players up with school-grade classmates. Colorado Soccer Association uses the same chart.
My child was born in the fall. Did they move down?
Compared with the old birth-year rule, yes: kids born August to December land one group younger than they would have. Many stay in the same U-number in 2026-27 that they had in 2025-26. Kids born January to July are not affected.
Does every league use the new cutoff?
Not all. MLS NEXT's Homegrown Division (the MLS club academies) kept birth-year age groups for 2026-27, while the MLS NEXT Academy Division switched to Aug 1 to Jul 31. Check with your club.
What size soccer ball does my child need?
Size 3 for U8 and younger, size 4 for U9 to U12, and size 5 from U13 up, under US Soccer's small-sided standards.