NCSA - PLAYER AGE BRACKETS

How Player Age Brackets are determined. NCSA must follow the eligibility standards established by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and adopted by all youth USSF affiliated members, including USYSA (and its member organizations NJYSA and ENYYSA), US Club Soccer, AYSO and others. NCSA affiliates with one of these organizations each seasonal year. NCSA must comply with the age brackets set by these organizations for player registration.

USSF Calendar Birth Year or Seasonal Year Age Groups. There have been 2 distinct methods of determining age brackets over the years. Some of us have seen the method changed back and forth between the 2 methods multiple times.

One method is to use the calendar year to determine the age bracket. For example, all players born in a particular calendar year fit into one particular age bracket; for 2025-26 seasonal year, players born in 2016 are in the U10 age bracket. The calendar year age bracket has been used for over 10 years but will end with the Spring 2026 season. While this method had simplicity, it did cut across typical school grades and created some social issues as a result.

The other method is to more closely align with school years. The new method to be used effective for play starting Fall 2026 will place all players born from August 1 of one year until July 31 of the following year into one particular age bracket; for 2026-27 seasonal year, players born from 8/1/2016 to 7/31/2017 will be in the U10 age bracket. This does mean that players born from 8/1 to 12/31 of a particular year will remain in their current age bracket for the Fall of 2026.

Age Group Play Typically, players play at the youngest age level for which they are eligible. However, please note that a player may "play up" in an age group older than that player's typical age group. (Example: A player eligible for a U13 team can be registered on a U14 or older team.) A player may not "play down" to an age group younger than that player's age group. (Example: A player eligible for a U13 team may not be registered to a U12 or younger team.)

The check birthdate function at the bottom of this page produces the typical or youngest age group for that birthdate in the current seasonal year. PLEASE NOTE: Each club may set its own rules whether a player may be registered in an age group older than typical for that player's birthdate; no club is obligated to allow this. NJYSA also limits playing up based upon a player's age and should be consulted for those limitations.

Fall Play for U15 Players The U15 age group using the current calendar year method typically includes players in 8th grade as well as in high school. NCSA will determine whether to provide Fall play opportunity for those players in the U15 age group starting in Fall 2026 since based upon the new seasonal year method, most U15 players will be in HS and play HS soccer.

U8 and Younger Players NCSA offers both 7v7v and 4v4 play for this age level. USSF recommends U8 play 4v4 on smaller fields, with smaller goals, no goalkeepers, no referees and no tracking of scores. However, many U8 teams played as U9 over the years, so NCSA permits the clubs to decide which program works best for its teams.

THE CHART BELOW SHOWS THE PLAYER AGE BRACKET FOR THE CURRENT SEASONAL YEAR.