ECNL moving to school year not calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Spring 2026 season, creating Spring teams based on the upcoming changes will provide one season in which teams may adjust to the new Seasonal Year age group standard before the Fall 2026 season starts. Fall 2025 we offer both Birth Year and Aug. 1st season selections.

For the 2026-2027 seasonal year and beyond, all participating USYS affiliates leagues and clubs will use the Seasonal Year age grouping August 1st – July 31st (instead of the Birth Year method or August 1st season currently offered). This means players will be grouped based on their Seasonal Year rather than their Birth Year alone. This will be the only option available from that point forward.

What does this mean in the spring for 2011 late birthday? Would they be playing with 2012 in the spring since ECNL doesn’t have spring season?

Looks like this is for USYS. US club may or may not have the same rule. Would be tough to change age groupings with a year round league like ecnl but they could have some transitional rules.

GA and ECNL have always allowed a set number of trapped 8th graders to play “down” their high school season. I doubt it will change this year.

That’s not what this comment was referring to. It was about a statement from USYS going to 8/1 groupings for spring 2026.

Where is this statement at? Is this a new statement that was released or just carry over from what we already know

It’s posted on the previous page. No idea how true it is. You can also click on “show earlier quotes” to see the previous threads. It’s tough to follow with so many different conversations.

I don’t doubt that lower level leagues could make a change for spring 2026 but this will be much more difficult to do with a national platform that plays a year round format with playoffs in June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Spring 2026 season, creating Spring teams based on the upcoming changes will provide one season in which teams may adjust to the new Seasonal Year age group standard before the Fall 2026 season starts. Fall 2025 we offer both Birth Year and Aug. 1st season selections.

For the 2026-2027 seasonal year and beyond, all participating USYS affiliates leagues and clubs will use the Seasonal Year age grouping August 1st – July 31st (instead of the Birth Year method or August 1st season currently offered). This means players will be grouped based on their Seasonal Year rather than their Birth Year alone. This will be the only option available from that point forward.

What does this mean in the spring for 2011 late birthday? Would they be playing with 2012 in the spring since ECNL doesn’t have spring season?

Looks like this is for USYS. US club may or may not have the same rule. Would be tough to change age groupings with a year round league like ecnl but they could have some transitional rules.

GA and ECNL have always allowed a set number of trapped 8th graders to play “down” their high school season. I doubt it will change this year.

That’s not what this comment was referring to. It was about a statement from USYS going to 8/1 groupings for spring 2026.

Where is this statement at? Is this a new statement that was released or just carry over from what we already know

https://calsouth.com/seasonal-year-faq/

This statement doesn’t mention USYS at all like the statement on the previous page. Are all youth leagues in CalSouth USYS?

If this change is going to take place 6 months earlier than anticipated and will be nationwide with USYS, this will put pressure on clubs and other leagues to come out with more information. Clubs are going to start getting many more questions from parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Spring 2026 season, creating Spring teams based on the upcoming changes will provide one season in which teams may adjust to the new Seasonal Year age group standard before the Fall 2026 season starts. Fall 2025 we offer both Birth Year and Aug. 1st season selections.

For the 2026-2027 seasonal year and beyond, all participating USYS affiliates leagues and clubs will use the Seasonal Year age grouping August 1st – July 31st (instead of the Birth Year method or August 1st season currently offered). This means players will be grouped based on their Seasonal Year rather than their Birth Year alone. This will be the only option available from that point forward.

What does this mean in the spring for 2011 late birthday? Would they be playing with 2012 in the spring since ECNL doesn’t have spring season?

Looks like this is for USYS. US club may or may not have the same rule. Would be tough to change age groupings with a year round league like ecnl but they could have some transitional rules.

GA and ECNL have always allowed a set number of trapped 8th graders to play “down” their high school season. I doubt it will change this year.

That’s not what this comment was referring to. It was about a statement from USYS going to 8/1 groupings for spring 2026.

Where is this statement at? Is this a new statement that was released or just carry over from what we already know

https://calsouth.com/seasonal-year-faq/

This statement doesn’t mention USYS at all like the statement on the previous page. Are all youth leagues in CalSouth USYS?

If this change is going to take place 6 months earlier than anticipated and will be nationwide with USYS, this will put pressure on clubs and other leagues to come out with more information. Clubs are going to start getting many more questions from parents.

Yes, Calsouth is sanctioned by USYS. And agree, their statement doesn't mention USYS so the OP may have a different source (maybe the release to state associations?).

What's also interesting is Cal South has some pretty big ECNL clubs (Beach, So Cal Blues, Pateadores) and some that are MLSN and/or GA. So will those ECNL teams that play year round switch for spring? And, of course, what do the MLSN/GA clubs do if they are supposed to switch the younger kids (and teams below MLSN/GA level)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Spring 2026 season, creating Spring teams based on the upcoming changes will provide one season in which teams may adjust to the new Seasonal Year age group standard before the Fall 2026 season starts. Fall 2025 we offer both Birth Year and Aug. 1st season selections.

For the 2026-2027 seasonal year and beyond, all participating USYS affiliates leagues and clubs will use the Seasonal Year age grouping August 1st – July 31st (instead of the Birth Year method or August 1st season currently offered). This means players will be grouped based on their Seasonal Year rather than their Birth Year alone. This will be the only option available from that point forward.

What does this mean in the spring for 2011 late birthday? Would they be playing with 2012 in the spring since ECNL doesn’t have spring season?

Looks like this is for USYS. US club may or may not have the same rule. Would be tough to change age groupings with a year round league like ecnl but they could have some transitional rules.

GA and ECNL have always allowed a set number of trapped 8th graders to play “down” their high school season. I doubt it will change this year.

That’s not what this comment was referring to. It was about a statement from USYS going to 8/1 groupings for spring 2026.

Where is this statement at? Is this a new statement that was released or just carry over from what we already know

https://calsouth.com/seasonal-year-faq/

This statement doesn’t mention USYS at all like the statement on the previous page. Are all youth leagues in CalSouth USYS?

If this change is going to take place 6 months earlier than anticipated and will be nationwide with USYS, this will put pressure on clubs and other leagues to come out with more information. Clubs are going to start getting many more questions from parents.

Yes, Calsouth is sanctioned by USYS. And agree, their statement doesn't mention USYS so the OP may have a different source (maybe the release to state associations?).

What's also interesting is Cal South has some pretty big ECNL clubs (Beach, So Cal Blues, Pateadores) and some that are MLSN and/or GA. So will those ECNL teams that play year round switch for spring? And, of course, what do the MLSN/GA clubs do if they are supposed to switch the younger kids (and teams below MLSN/GA level)?

Those clubs are under SOCAL, the top tier league of socal, not under Cal South

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Spring 2026 season, creating Spring teams based on the upcoming changes will provide one season in which teams may adjust to the new Seasonal Year age group standard before the Fall 2026 season starts. Fall 2025 we offer both Birth Year and Aug. 1st season selections.

For the 2026-2027 seasonal year and beyond, all participating USYS affiliates leagues and clubs will use the Seasonal Year age grouping August 1st – July 31st (instead of the Birth Year method or August 1st season currently offered). This means players will be grouped based on their Seasonal Year rather than their Birth Year alone. This will be the only option available from that point forward.

What does this mean in the spring for 2011 late birthday? Would they be playing with 2012 in the spring since ECNL doesn’t have spring season?

Looks like this is for USYS. US club may or may not have the same rule. Would be tough to change age groupings with a year round league like ecnl but they could have some transitional rules.

GA and ECNL have always allowed a set number of trapped 8th graders to play “down” their high school season. I doubt it will change this year.

That’s not what this comment was referring to. It was about a statement from USYS going to 8/1 groupings for spring 2026.

Where is this statement at? Is this a new statement that was released or just carry over from what we already know

https://calsouth.com/seasonal-year-faq/

This statement doesn’t mention USYS at all like the statement on the previous page. Are all youth leagues in CalSouth USYS?

If this change is going to take place 6 months earlier than anticipated and will be nationwide with USYS, this will put pressure on clubs and other leagues to come out with more information. Clubs are going to start getting many more questions from parents.

Yes, Calsouth is sanctioned by USYS. And agree, their statement doesn't mention USYS so the OP may have a different source (maybe the release to state associations?).

What's also interesting is Cal South has some pretty big ECNL clubs (Beach, So Cal Blues, Pateadores) and some that are MLSN and/or GA. So will those ECNL teams that play year round switch for spring? And, of course, what do the MLSN/GA clubs do if they are supposed to switch the younger kids (and teams below MLSN/GA level)?

Technically GA clubs can roster BY teams in a SY league like Socal. However their oldest player would be 5 months younger than other teams also their youngest player would be Aug 1st only giving them a 6ish month grouping window.

[Anonymous]

The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

We should have all stayed BY just cause it’s easier to understand, but if the U system identification is going to mean 2 different things depending on which league the team plays for within the same club or between clubs for that matter, then about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

The age calculator been up for a while. And yes, a complete cluster.

Is the statement from calsouth new or has it been posted for a while and someone is just now drawing attention to it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

We should have all stayed BY just cause it’s easier to understand, but if the U system identification is going to mean 2 different things depending on which league the team plays for within the same club or between clubs for that matter, then about it.

Parent of a fall boy and yes, staying BY would have been preferable to two different registration systems. We potentially will drop down an age group to a SY team to then skip u12 to go up to a BY team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

We should have all stayed BY just cause it’s easier to understand, but if the U system identification is going to mean 2 different things depending on which league the team plays for within the same club or between clubs for that matter, then about it.

Parent of a fall boy and yes, staying BY would have been preferable to two different registration systems. We potentially will drop down an age group to a SY team to then skip u12 to go up to a BY team.

Most places this "choice" isn't going to be up to you. There's no dropping up or down. There is just the new normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

We should have all stayed BY just cause it’s easier to understand, but if the U system identification is going to mean 2 different things depending on which league the team plays for within the same club or between clubs for that matter, then about it.

Parent of a fall boy and yes, staying BY would have been preferable to two different registration systems. We potentially will drop down an age group to a SY team to then skip u12 to go up to a BY team.

Most places this "choice" isn't going to be up to you. There's no dropping up or down. There is just the new normal.

I’m not following you. The age group is the age group. Mlsnext club and u8-u12 will be SY and u13 and older will be BY. If he’s placed appropriately for his age, he will repeat an age group at the ulittle ages and then skip an age group to go to an mlsnext team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

The age calculator been up for a while. And yes, a complete cluster.

Is the statement from calsouth new or has it been posted for a while and someone is just now drawing attention to it?

Do they expect orgs to choose 9/1 still? Seems that should be removed given the latest announcements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

The age calculator been up for a while. And yes, a complete cluster.

Is the statement from calsouth new or has it been posted for a while and someone is just now drawing attention to it?

Do they expect orgs to choose 9/1 still? Seems that should be removed given the latest announcements.

I guess national platform leagues could still choose 9/1. I don’t think US soccer is in the business of simplifying things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

We should have all stayed BY just cause it’s easier to understand, but if the U system identification is going to mean 2 different things depending on which league the team plays for within the same club or between clubs for that matter, then about it.

Parent of a fall boy and yes, staying BY would have been preferable to two different registration systems. We potentially will drop down an age group to a SY team to then skip u12 to go up to a BY team.

Most places this "choice" isn't going to be up to you. There's no dropping up or down. There is just the new normal.

I’m not following you. The age group is the age group. Mlsnext club and u8-u12 will be SY and u13 and older will be BY. If he’s placed appropriately for his age, he will repeat an age group at the ulittle ages and then skip an age group to go to an mlsnext team.

Some parents feel that their kid is super special will stay with the current team and play up. While some kids will play up for various reasons, there's absolutely no reason to assume you are guaranteed to stay on your current team just because you've been there with a fall birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The tool on soccer website is up. Can’t imagine the cluster if clubs (and their parents/kids) are subjected to two registration systems. Kids can be u12 or u13 depending on A vs B vs C team…WTF!

https://www.ussoccer.com/ecosystem-review/player-registration/age-group-calculator

The age calculator been up for a while. And yes, a complete cluster.

Is the statement from calsouth new or has it been posted for a while and someone is just now drawing attention to it?

Do they expect orgs to choose 9/1 still? Seems that should be removed given the latest announcements.

I guess national platform leagues could still choose 9/1. I don’t think US soccer is in the business of simplifying things.

Did someone say SY+30