ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

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

Well, there already is that USYS cal league that will start in the spring of 26. That may seem like a popular template. Otherwise, it does seem like said plans won't be announced until 25/26 leagues are formed everywhere, so June?

[Anonymous]

Trapped 4th quarter 2011 players will get screwed next year without a transition plan.

[Anonymous]

Trapped August kids will get screwed year after year with this new 9/1 date!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trapped August kids will get screwed year after year with this new 9/1 date!

BY parents are now the greatest advocates for trapped Aug players, but silent when BY trapped so many more kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trapped 4th quarter 2011 players will get screwed next year without a transition plan.

My daughter is in this boat. Infuriating as they know it is changing next year but don't care

[Anonymous]

If ECNL comes out with a transition plan for next season, those kids will not be able to play in non-ECNL tournaments? Cal South is transitioning Spring of 2026, does that mean Q4 kids won’t be able to play in tournaments outside of Cal South region during the spring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If ECNL comes out with a transition plan for next season, those kids will not be able to play in non-ECNL tournaments? Cal South is transitioning Spring of 2026, does that mean Q4 kids won’t be able to play in tournaments outside of Cal South region during the spring?

Until actual rules are announced, there is no answer to your first question. But given that USYS and USCS made a joint announcement on the age bracket change, it would be common sense to think that any transitional rules would also be agreed to and jointly announced.

As for Cal South (which is USYS), again the ultimate answer to the Q4 question depends on whether there are transitional rules next year.

Best advice: wait and see what the rules are instead of asking questions about speculative rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trapped 4th quarter 2011 players will get screwed next year without a transition plan.

Depends what they're leagues do already. Sometimes that's a club team in a trapped league. For girls, sometimes it's playing/practicing on a boys team. A season away from the normal club team doesn't have to be a negative or slow down anyone's development. Some rightly see it as a unique opportunity to do something different.

[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.

That’s exactly what everyone said before. That ECNL can’t do this alone and yet it was a rumor this was happening and here we are.

ECNL and the leagues know there will be high school kids who still need to play because of a 9/1 cut off. Who have August bdays.

They will be allowed to play so be ready for that they just won’t get the age advantage until their senior year like current Q3/4 U19 players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That’s exactly what everyone said before. That ECNL can’t do this alone and yet it was a rumor this was happening and here we are.

ECNL and the leagues know there will be high school kids who still need to play because of a 9/1 cut off. Who have August bdays.

They will be allowed to play so be ready for that they just won’t get the age advantage until their senior year like current Q3/4 U19 players.

According to the USSF press release, they were just asking members to pick between Jan 1, Aug 1, and Sep 1 as their "primary choice." As always, the leagues control their own rules internally, so they can honor USSF and still put in whatever exceptions they would like, e.g., current bio-banding and trapped player exceptions. A "play with grade" exception is totally doable should ECNL really choose to do it. For some reason people like to pretend youth soccer is controlled by a USSF dictatorship, but the reality is it's all just limited agreements between organizations.

Who knows if ECNL will go GY, but of course they can if they really wanted to. You'd have to get the actual US government to stop them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That’s exactly what everyone said before. That ECNL can’t do this alone and yet it was a rumor this was happening and here we are.

ECNL and the leagues know there will be high school kids who still need to play because of a 9/1 cut off. Who have August bdays.

They will be allowed to play so be ready for that they just won’t get the age advantage until their senior year like current Q3/4 U19 players.

According to the USSF press release, they were just asking members to pick between Jan 1, Aug 1, and Sep 1 as their "primary choice." As always, the leagues control their own rules internally, so they can honor USSF and still put in whatever exceptions they would like, e.g., current bio-banding and trapped player exceptions. A "play with grade" exception is totally doable should ECNL really choose to do it. For some reason people like to pretend youth soccer is controlled by a USSF dictatorship, but the reality is it's all just limited agreements between organizations.

Who knows if ECNL will go GY, but of course they can if they really wanted to. You'd have to get the actual US government to stop them.

During the Cal South USYS meeting they said some league under USYS are going 8/1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That’s exactly what everyone said before. That ECNL can’t do this alone and yet it was a rumor this was happening and here we are.

ECNL and the leagues know there will be high school kids who still need to play because of a 9/1 cut off. Who have August bdays.

They will be allowed to play so be ready for that they just won’t get the age advantage until their senior year like current Q3/4 U19 players.

According to the USSF press release, they were just asking members to pick between Jan 1, Aug 1, and Sep 1 as their "primary choice." As always, the leagues control their own rules internally, so they can honor USSF and still put in whatever exceptions they would like, e.g., current bio-banding and trapped player exceptions. A "play with grade" exception is totally doable should ECNL really choose to do it. For some reason people like to pretend youth soccer is controlled by a USSF dictatorship, but the reality is it's all just limited agreements between organizations.

Who knows if ECNL will go GY, but of course they can if they really wanted to. You'd have to get the actual US government to stop them.

During the Cal South USYS meeting they said some league under USYS are going 8/1.

BY crowd who are now Aug Bday advocates are gonna lose their last reason to claim BY was better

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That’s exactly what everyone said before. That ECNL can’t do this alone and yet it was a rumor this was happening and here we are.

ECNL and the leagues know there will be high school kids who still need to play because of a 9/1 cut off. Who have August bdays.

They will be allowed to play so be ready for that they just won’t get the age advantage until their senior year like current Q3/4 U19 players.

According to the USSF press release, they were just asking members to pick between Jan 1, Aug 1, and Sep 1 as their "primary choice." As always, the leagues control their own rules internally, so they can honor USSF and still put in whatever exceptions they would like, e.g., current bio-banding and trapped player exceptions. A "play with grade" exception is totally doable should ECNL really choose to do it. For some reason people like to pretend youth soccer is controlled by a USSF dictatorship, but the reality is it's all just limited agreements between organizations.

Who knows if ECNL will go GY, but of course they can if they really wanted to. You'd have to get the actual US government to stop them.

During the Cal South USYS meeting they said some league under USYS are going 8/1.

BY crowd who are now Aug Bday advocates are gonna lose their last reason to claim BY was better

What a reach. The anti-BY trolling is so intense it's actually pretty funny.

[Anonymous]

Commenting to keep this thread alive. Onwards to 1000!

[Anonymous]

Are there even that many Sept-Dec Bdays left in the U13 and above? I imagine the ones that have stuck with it may be very gifted but there probably isn’t that many left