Missouri Youth Soccer Association

US Youth Soccer

Understanding the 2026-2027 Season Age Group Changes

Age groups are changing? …Again?

Following extensive review and discussion, US Youth Soccer, AYSO, and US Club Soccer have all made a collective decision. They will move to an age group player formation cycle that runs from August 1 to July 31. This change will start with the 2026/27 season/registration year. This change was based on additional critical feedback. It was also influenced by data and expert input. The goal is to better align players with their school-grade peers.

The August 1 to July 31 age group player formation cycle will be used for all USYS league and Cup competitions for the 2026-27 season/registration year. This includes the National Championship Series (State Cup), the Presidents Cup, National League / Midest Conference and the MADL. 

US Youth Soccer CEO Tom Condone addressed the adjustment to the registration process: “At US Youth Soccer, our mission is to support the development of every player. After careful collaboration with our partners and listening to our membership, we believe this shift to an August 1 player formation cycle better aligns with school calendars, supports social and individual needs, and ultimately enhances the youth soccer experience for families across the country.”

When does this change occur?

This change will be enacted at the start of the 2026-27 seasonal / registration year, beginning August 1st 2026.
This will NOT impact the current, 25/26 season which runs through July 2026.

As a reminder, under U.S. Soccer’s new policy, each Federation member can determine age group registration rules for the leagues and competitions they operate or sanction. To support this transition, U.S. Soccer has introduced a tool to help parents and guardians easily understand the age groupings based on their child’s birth date.

How does this change impact Missouri Youth Soccer Association players?

The simplest way to summarize the upcoming change is that on August 1st, 2026:

  • Players born January 1st through July 31st will progress to the higher age group for the 26/27 season.
    Ex. Player born in June 2017;
    25/26 Season: U9
    26/27 Season: U10
  • Players born August 1st through December 31st will remain in the same age group for the 26/27 season.
    Ex. Player born in September 2017;
    25/26 Season: U9
    26/27 Season: U9

Teams are assigned to an age group based on the age of the team’s OLDEST player.
If you intend on keeping the majority of your team together through next season, please be prepared. Some players may then be required to play-up to a higher age group. However, MYSA roster rules prevent players from joining teams more than 2 age groups above their natural age.

New AGE MATRIX 26_27Download

USYS National League Introduces Enhanced Format for National Events

2023) — The US Youth Soccer National League is excited to introduce an evolved competition format and pathway for its national events, beginning in the 2023-24 seasonal year.

The new national event pathway will allow the very best teams from the National League’s club-based and team-based leagues to come together in a common, unified pathway. Every team attending national events will compete in meaningful games, with the ability to ultimately advance to the USYS National Championships.

“We cannot wait for the players and teams to experience the excitement and competitive atmosphere that will come with the enhanced competition format and pathway provided at our national events,” said Simon Collins, National League Commissioner. “We have listened to feedback from teams and clubs, and we’re confident this will lead to more meaningful games and a great atmosphere that will be even more appealing to all in attendance, including college coaches and scouts.”

Regular season league play — in the National League Conferences and Elite 64 — will provide teams with advancement into the national event pathway, beginning with either the Conference Playoffs or the Elite 64 Playoffs.

Based on performances at either the Conference Playoffs or the Elite 64 Playoffs, teams in the 14U-18/19U age groups will advance to National League P.R.O., where Conference teams and Elite 64 teams will compete against each other for the opportunity to qualify for the USYS National Championships.

Under this new format for national events, National League teams will enjoy several benefits of the evolved competition that enhance their overall experience:

  • Every regular season league game, whether in the Conferences or Elite 64, continues to be meaningful, as regular season performances determine qualification and placement into the national events.
  • Any time a team travels to a national event, it is guaranteed to play meaningful games with the chance to ultimately advance to the USYS National Championships.
  • Based on performance at its respective Playoff event, each advancing team is placed into an appropriate pool at its National League P.R.O. event — increasing the likelihood of all games being competitive and evenly-matched.
  • The 18U and 19U age groups will be combined across all National League competitions — creating more flexibility and a higher, more consistent competitive level in a combined 18/19U age group.
  • Each national event will feature either group or pool winners and encourage players to compete with a focus on team success.
  • A competitive environment with meaningful matches provides an ideal setting for college coaches and scouts to evaluate players.

More information on gameplay formats at the national events will be available later this spring.

All national events will be scheduled to reduce high school soccer conflicts, when possible. The Conference Playoffs will take place in early December, and teams advancing out of the Conference Playoffs will be assigned to one of two National League P.R.O. events — taking place in either late February or early May.

Half of the Elite 64 teams will attend an Elite 64 Playoff event in early November, with advancing teams moving on to the National League P.R.O. event in early May. The other half of Elite 64 teams will attend the Elite 64 Playoff event in mid-to-late January, with advancing teams moving on to the National League P.R.O. event in late February. All dates are subject to change.

Elite 64 teams in the 13U age group will not advance beyond the Elite 64 Playoffs.

In addition to the national events, all teams in the Conferences and Elite 64 will continue to have access to National League Regional Showcases. More Regional Showcase options are expected to be added in the coming season, allowing teams with additional opportunities to play showcase games closer to their home markets and prospective local college programs.

For more information on the Conferences, click here.

For more information on Elite 64, click here.

US Youth Soccer Announces Locations for Future Midwest and Far West Regional Events

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FRISCO, Texas (April 21, 2023) – US Youth Soccer (USYS) is happy to announce future regional host locations for two of its longstanding events — National Championship Series and Presidents Cup — in the Midwest and Far West regions.

  • 2024 Midwest Presidents Cup: Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  • 2024 and 2025 Midwest Regional Championships: Garmin Olathe Soccer Complex in Olathe, Kansas and Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kansas
  • 2024 Far West Presidents Cup: Regional Athletic Complex in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 2024 Far West Regional Championships: Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex in Honolulu, Hawaii

2024 will mark a special milestone for US Youth Soccer as the largest youth soccer organization in the country will celebrate  its 50th anniversary. It also marks a return to the Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex — which has hosted the USYS National Championships on three separate occasions — and the Yankton Trail Park, Regional Athletic Complex, and Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex, which each hosted regional events in past years. For the Garmin Olathe Soccer Complex, the Midwest Regional Championships will be the first US Youth Soccer events held at the facility since it opened in 2019. Each location will add to USYS’ special events and enhance the experience for the US Youth Soccer family, including the players, parents, referees, and volunteers.

The Garmin Olathe Soccer Complex and Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex, which will share the Midwest Regional Championships, offer nine and 12 state of the art fields, respectively, while the larger Regional Athletic Complex (16), Yankton Trail Park (21), and Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex (21) will offer their renowned facilities while serving as sole host sites.

“As US Youth Soccer celebrates its 50th anniversary, I couldn’t think of a more impressive lineup of hosts to help support our elite competitions,” said USYS CEO Skip Gilbert. “It’s not just great complexes that create moments in the lives of our players, coaches, referees, and families, but it’s the entire experience on and off the field. We look forward to working with our hosts to build those great memories for some of the best teams in the country.”

US Youth Soccer’s National Championship Series and Presidents Cup remain a significant source of revenue for local economies due to the influx of people they bring to the area. Each event will field more than 125 teams, bringing more than 4,000 people to each area and generating an estimated economic impact of $4,200,000 across each city.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.

US Youth Soccer Awards Grants for TOPSoccer Programs

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FRISCO, Texas (Feb. 14, 2023) – US Youth Soccer (USYS) announced today that $100,000 in grants was awarded as part of its support for TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) programs across the country.

Grant funds were allocated to 66 recipient organizations, including 16 USYS State Associations and 50 local clubs. In total, grants were awarded to clubs and organizations within 32 different US Youth Soccer State Associations.

“Our vision is to bring communities together through the power of soccer, making lifelong fans of the sport,” said USYS CEO Skip Gilbert. “This is only effectively done when including every child with a disability that wants to play the game. The grant program is but one step to move TOPSoccer to a position where it fully supports the disabled player — and we’re proud to be able to do so.”

Applications for the grants, which included requests for items such as soccer balls, goals, and more specialized equipment such as parachutes, sound cancelling headphones, and sensory toys, were submitted and reviewed by US Youth Soccer. Recipients were selected and grants were awarded to lower barriers that state and local programs face when bringing the sport to children who are too often left on the sidelines.

“I am very pleased with the work our TOPSoccer Committee has done to award these grants,” said US Youth Soccer Board Secretary Thomas Sowinski. “Providing the grants has a direct and immediate impact on the investment of TOPSoccer at the grassroots level. USYS is committed to providing opportunities for players of all ages and abilities across our 54 State Associations and these grants are a part of that overall effort.”

TOPSoccer is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local US Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. TOPSoccer provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive.

For more information on US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer, click here.

About the United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer)

US Youth Soccer, the largest youth sport organization in the country, is on a mission to provide world-class support, resources, and leadership, helping every member fulfill their goals on and off the field of play. US Youth Soccer registers nearly 2.5 million players annually. Through its programming, resources and leadership, US Youth Soccer is advancing the game for its 54 Member State Associations, 10,000 clubs and leagues and one million administrators, coaches, and volunteers. US Youth Soccer connects families and communities to the power of sports and its shared love of soccer. US Youth Soccer provides a path for every player, coach and referee offering programs that provide a fun, safe and healthy environment at every level of the game.