ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know one holdback he’s 11 and can’t read but he’s all about the soccer. He’s not getting an SAT score to get a scholarship so what the point in grad year?

Makes no sense to me.

What about all the hold backs with 4.0s and are on track to be college players? Your 1 kid doesn’t mean they don’t serve to play soccer if they are still in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know one holdback he’s 11 and can’t read but he’s all about the soccer. He’s not getting an SAT score to get a scholarship so what the point in grad year?

Makes no sense to me.

What about all the hold backs with 4.0s and are on track to be college players? Your 1 kid doesn’t mean they don’t serve to play soccer if they are still in high school.

The grad year stuff gets really abused in some sports, and I don’t love it here, but it seems to be a fair compromise.

I’m sure ECNL looked at the optics of having some HS senior players stripped of being on a team and noped out with this solution.

[Anonymous]

Hold backing kids on purpose (for sports advantage) is pure cheating.

ECNL should fight it, instead of encouraging that parents behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hold backing kids on purpose (for sports advantage) is pure cheating.

ECNL should fight it, instead of encouraging that parents behavior.

Most parents don’t hold back their kids for sports. And when the kids are held back (usually as 4 and 5 year olds) there is no telling how well they will do in any sport. Also, why would parents be incentives to hold back kids just for soccer? All the boys scholarships that go to overseas players. Basketball, baseball, football, and lacrosse? Yeah, there is an incentive there, especially now with NIL money. Men’s and women’s soccer? Not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hold backing kids on purpose (for sports advantage) is pure cheating.

ECNL should fight it, instead of encouraging that parents behavior.

I don’t see the big deal about IF it is only being applied to Junior/Senior year.
We currently have juniors playing up against seniors. If a player is college level competition with a handful of older players should prevent them from demonstrating their skills or their ability to preform. If the kid is in high school they should be able to play comp soccer.

I can see it being a bigger issues with younger kids so hopefully they prevent that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who’s ready for the big ECNL bombshell!?

Coming Fall 26.

My trusted source who told me all about the age group change since last spring. Said ECNL is more than likely going to have U13-16 go off of 9/1 cut off for league play and showcases. U17/18 would be based of grad year for showcases.

The problem they are finding is because of COVID many kids were held back or started school late and also many July/Aug kids would be ineligible to play club their senior year due to a 9/1 curt off.

Starting Fall 27

U13-15 9/1 cut off. U16-18 league play and showcases will be grad year.
They see grad year as a way to better align with college recruiting and allow kids still in high school to play but not being able to be the older kid until their sophomore year.


ECNL should be announcing something in the next month or so about their plan to align with the greater majority. But the grad year stuff is being discussed in the back of the room. The way back and will be sent out June 26.

Do not pass go, go directly to jail.

This has been discussed ad naseum. Just like ECNL couldn’t switch to SY without USCS, and USCS couldn’t switch to SY without USSF…ECNL can’t switch to GY.

Your source sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who’s ready for the big ECNL bombshell!?

Coming Fall 26.

My trusted source who told me all about the age group change since last spring. Said ECNL is more than likely going to have U13-16 go off of 9/1 cut off for league play and showcases. U17/18 would be based of grad year for showcases.

The problem they are finding is because of COVID many kids were held back or started school late and also many July/Aug kids would be ineligible to play club their senior year due to a 9/1 curt off.

Starting Fall 27

U13-15 9/1 cut off. U16-18 league play and showcases will be grad year.
They see grad year as a way to better align with college recruiting and allow kids still in high school to play but not being able to be the older kid until their sophomore year.


ECNL should be announcing something in the next month or so about their plan to align with the greater majority. But the grad year stuff is being discussed in the back of the room. The way back and will be sent out June 26.

Do not pass go, go directly to jail.

This has been discussed ad naseum. Just like ECNL couldn’t switch to SY without USCS, and USCS couldn’t switch to SY without USSF…ECNL can’t switch to GY.

Your source sucks.

Just you wait. Also you haven’t read the rules if you look at the language put out by US soccer it definitely allows showcases to be grad year or so I’m told.
We are talking years away so just wait and see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who’s ready for the big ECNL bombshell!?

Coming Fall 26.

My trusted source who told me all about the age group change since last spring. Said ECNL is more than likely going to have U13-16 go off of 9/1 cut off for league play and showcases. U17/18 would be based of grad year for showcases.

The problem they are finding is because of COVID many kids were held back or started school late and also many July/Aug kids would be ineligible to play club their senior year due to a 9/1 curt off.

Starting Fall 27

U13-15 9/1 cut off. U16-18 league play and showcases will be grad year.
They see grad year as a way to better align with college recruiting and allow kids still in high school to play but not being able to be the older kid until their sophomore year.


ECNL should be announcing something in the next month or so about their plan to align with the greater majority. But the grad year stuff is being discussed in the back of the room. The way back and will be sent out June 26.

Do not pass go, go directly to jail.

This has been discussed ad naseum. Just like ECNL couldn’t switch to SY without USCS, and USCS couldn’t switch to SY without USSF…ECNL can’t switch to GY.

Your source sucks.

So much drama I love it.
Now it’s the no it won’t be grad year stupid. Just like it was with SY.

I guess we will all see what happens.

[Anonymous]

US Soccer still hasn’t put out the “guidance” that was supposed to come after the AGM. ECNL still hasn’t made a statement about SY after the US Club statement. I can’t get over how poorly this has been managed.

[Anonymous]

Still a year (at least) of by to do — what’s the rush?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still a year (at least) of by to do — what’s the rush?

Rincon, who also serves as the U.S. Soccer Youth Council Chair, detailed the following on behalf of the council:
...
We look forward to . . . continue collaborating with clubs and leagues to ensure a smooth transition next year.”

https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/news/2025/03/05/us-youth-soccer-us-club-soccer-and-ayso-returning-to-seasonal-year-age-group-formation-in-2026/

There will be webinars, training, and feedback forums for members and leagues to
support their decision-making and participants with navigating a change.

https://cdn.sanity.io/files/oyf3dba6/production/14df849e78b38da011e1bff5144256520f76eea3.pdf



It's not totally clear if part of the transition / navigation in 25/26 would include rules to permit Q4s to play down in 25/26. But if there is, that's not a year away.

[Anonymous]

After all of this delay, anyone waiting on a transition plan is going to be devastated when they have to wait until 26/27

[Anonymous]

If anyone has any Top Secret intel on a transition plan, drop it below! ⬇️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After all of this delay, anyone waiting on a transition plan is going to be devastated when they have to wait until 26/27

if

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hold backing kids on purpose (for sports advantage) is pure cheating.

ECNL should fight it, instead of encouraging that parents behavior.

I don’t see the big deal about IF it is only being applied to Junior/Senior year.
We currently have juniors playing up against seniors. If a player is college level competition with a handful of older players should prevent them from demonstrating their skills or their ability to preform. If the kid is in high school they should be able to play comp soccer.

I can see it being a bigger issues with younger kids so hopefully they prevent that.

It would be a major (public relations) black eye for them if they leave a bunch of seniors/juniors without a club team. So this seems logical and then just use the SY age cutoff dates for U13-U16. I'm sure there will be some shenanigans at those later years but you can never 100% prevent that.