Transition to Grade Year Age Grouping
This page walks through North’s return to grade-year team alignment, outlines the league requirements driving the change, and explains how rosters will be formed moving forward.
What's Changing:
- Beginning with the 2026–2027 season, age groups will be defined by a seasonal model that starts on August 1 and ends on July 31 of the following year.
- Age-group classification will align with U.S. Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) as well as league platforms.
- Players outside the standard cutoff will be placed with their chronological grade.
- At U13 and above, top North FC teams will continue to draw from across the full club. This will allow us to continue to bring together players who are ready for higher levels of training and competition.
What's Not Changing:
- North FC’s commitment to player development remains the same. Roster decisions will continue to be made with long-term growth, confidence, and opportunity in mind.
- Competitive standards and player expectations will not change.
- The evaluation process stays consistent.
Coaches will continue to assess players based on technical ability, tactical understanding, effort, and coachability.
- Roster movement will remain fluid, and players can move during the season when readiness, performance, or positional needs support it.
- Communication and transparency remain priorities.
WHO IS making this change and why?
This change will be enacted by U.S. Youth Soccer, US Club Soccer, and the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) following extensive review and discussion.
The collective decision was made based on additional critical feedback, data, and expert input to better align players with their school-grade peers.
North FC feels that this age group player formation will be the most inclusive.
Who will be affected by this change?
All of our current competitive programs will be affected.
Team groupings for 2026–2027 will reflect the new August–July age window.
Our directors and coaches are planning ahead to ensure the transition is organized and thoughtful, with player development remaining the priority.
What leagues does this apply to?
The change will apply to all USYS-sanctioned league and cup competitions and US Club-sanctioned league and cup competitions (ECNL, ECNL-RL, NPL, CASA, etc.)
Questions We Expect You Might Have
Why is North FC making these changes?
We’re aligning with U.S. Soccer and the leagues we compete in, which are all moving toward grade-year teams.
Why now?
The 2026–2027 season is when both U.S. Soccer and our partner leagues will officially transition to grade-year team formation. Implementing this shift now ensures we stay aligned.
Will my child’s coach change?
Coaching assignments are reviewed annually. As always, decisions will be based on what best supports player development, training quality, and competitive balance across the club.
Will North FC have enough players across each age group to form competitive teams?
Yes. North FC is structured to support competitive teams across all age groups. We consistently attract and retain players because of our coaching standards, clear development pathway, and stable club environment. Most age groups have the depth to field full rosters while also maintaining internal competition, which is essential for long-term player growth. Our scale, retention rates, and year-over-year enrollment give us confidence that each age group will be positioned to form teams that are both viable and competitive within their respective leagues and levels of play.
What does “grade-year” mean?
Grade-year means teams are formed based on a player’s academic school year, following an August 1–July 31 cycle. Beginning with the 2026–27 season, North FC will move away from the calendar-year (January 1–December 31) model and return to this school-year-based structure.
Will my child play with the same teammates?
Team placement is competitive and earned throughout the season. We do not place players to keep previous teammate groups intact. Rosters are built to create the right training environment and competition level for each player’s development.
What if I disagree with my child’s team placement?
We recognize that placement decisions matter to families, and we take them seriously. Each roster is built to place players in the environment that best supports growth and competition. Rosters are fluid and movement can happen during the season when a player consistently shows readiness, when positional needs shift, or when it benefits development. All movement decisions are made by coaches and directors based on club standards, not requests.
How will tryouts work under this new model?
Tryouts will be organized by grade level. We’ll share a detailed schedule and placement chart in the spring.
When will tryouts be held?
Exact dates will be announced this spring, but they’ll follow our typical late-May/early-June timeline.
How will player evaluations be handled during the transition?
Our staff will continue to use the same evaluation standards, focusing on technical ability, tactical understanding, effort, and coachability. The new structure doesn’t change how we assess players; it just changes how we group them.
What if my child entered school late?
Grade-year teams are based on a defined birthdate window, not individual school placement decisions. For North FC, the grade-year cutoff runs from August 1 through July 31.
What happens in 8th grade for a player who’s “trapped” outside the grade-year date range?
In a small number of cases, a player may reach 8th grade while falling outside the standard August 1–July 31 grade-year window. When that happens, North FC will roster that player with their 8th-grade group for the fall season.
How to Read This Chart
The table below shows how birth-year teams (2025–26) transition to grade-year alignment beginning in the 2026–27 season.
Find your player’s current birth year in the left column. The corresponding row on the right shows the new grade-year date range that will apply starting in 2026–27.
Beginning in 2026–27, teams will follow an August 1 – July 31 seasonal-year cycle.
| 2025-26 Season | 2026-27 Season | |
|---|---|---|
| Academy | Born between Jan 1, 2020 - Dec. 31, 2020 | Born between Aug 1, 2020 - July 31, 2021 |
| Academy | Born between Jan 1, 2019 - Dec. 31, 2019 | Born between Aug 1, 2019 - July 31, 2020 |
| Academy | Born between Jan 1, 2018 - Dec. 31, 2018 | Born between Aug 1, 2018 - July 31, 2019 |
| U9 | Born between Jan 1, 2017 - Dec. 31, 2017 | Born between Aug 1, 2017 - July 31, 2018 |
| U10 | Born between Jan 1, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2016 | Born between Aug 1, 2016 - July 31, 2017 |
| U11 | Born between Jan 1, 2015 - Dec. 31, 2015 | Born between Aug 1, 2015 - July 31, 2016 |
| U12 | Born between Jan 1, 2014 - Dec. 31, 2014 | Born between Aug 1, 2014 - July 31, 2015 |
| U13 | Born between Jan 1, 2013 - Dec. 31, 2013 | Born between Aug 1, 2013 - July 31, 2014 |
| U14 | Born between Jan 1, 2012 - Dec. 31, 2012 | Born between Aug 1, 2012 - July 31, 2013 |
| U15 | Born between Jan 1, 2011 - Dec. 31, 2011 | Born between Aug 1, 2011 - July 31, 2012 |
| U16 | Born between Jan 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2010 | Born between Aug 1, 2010 - July 31, 2011 |
| U17 | Born between Jan 1, 2009 - Dec. 31, 2009 | Born between Aug 1, 2009 - July 31, 2010 |
| U18 | Born between Jan 1, 2008 - Dec. 31, 2008 | Born between Aug 1, 2008 - July 31, 2009 |
| U19 | Born between Jan 1, 2007 - Dec. 31, 2007 | Born between Aug 1, 2007 - July 31, 2008 |
| U20 | Born between Jan 1, 2006 - Dec. 31, 2006 | Born between Aug 1, 2006 - July 31, 2007 |
Have a Question?
We know this is a meaningful shift, and questions are expected. Use the form below to submit anything you’d like clarified. Our staff will review submissions and address common questions through updates to this page and future communications.
