2026/2027 Seasonal Year Change
Beginning with the 2026/27 tryouts, leagues and clubs will transition to “seasonal” year age groups where rosters will be formed by birthdates that are defined as August 1-July 31 of the following year. Below is a chart outlining the new age groups and corresponding seasonal year birth date ranges.
It is important to note that US Soccer has made this change and is part of a nationwide initiative, and not unique to Seattle or Washington. We understand that some players have late summer birthdays and are therefore in a different class year, which is why this is called “seasonal year” and not “school year”. There are NO exceptions allowing players to “play down” to an age group below because of school year, nor because they were born right before the new age group cut off.
We understand that the change from the current calendar/birth year team formation process to the new “seasonal” year team formation comes with a lot of questions and anxiousness for players and families. The club is trying to cover as much as possible below to answer these questions. Below is the 2026/27 Seasonal Year Age Groups with the birthdate ranges.
FAQ'S
My player has a Fall 2011 (Aug 1-Dec 31) birthdate. When will they try out?
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Fall 2011 birthdates that are U15 will tryout in May 2026.
My player is a late summer birthdate, but we held them back in school. Is there an exception to allow them to play with their correct school-aged team?
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Unfortunately, players are not allowed to play down age groups. The birthdate ranges are clearly defined by US Soccer and exceptions for playing down are not made.
Can my player play up with an older team?
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The club’s stance on play ups will remain mostly unchanged. Players exhibiting the ability both in skill level and maturity may be looked at to play up if club leadership feels like that is theright fit for the player and team.
How will this change affect my child’s current team?
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Team formation will take place based on the new seasonal year birthdates of August 1 – July 31. Please anticipate roster changes.
When will the official seasonal year season start?
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Newseasonal year teams will start competitive play late-May/June 2026.
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Current calendar year teams that qualify for any post-season summer playoff or competition will fulfill all required games.
Does this affect every club?
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All clubs participating in the leagues will have to adhere to the new seasonal year roster changes.
Will coaches communicate to players where they might land before tryouts?
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The Coaching staff will do their best to set expectations for individual players ahead of the 2026/27 tryouts, but there are no guarantees a player will know exactly on which team they will be placed until tryouts.
Will tryouts be the same time period as previous years?
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Yes, be on the lookout for specific dates in the near future.
Why did US Soccer make this change?
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“The August 1 age group cut-off most effectively reduces the number of “trapped players” in youth soccer and reduces negative impacts on these players at multiple stages of their career. “Trapped” players are those who, due to soccer age group cut-offs, are in an older soccer age group than their school year. Trapped players have significantly reduced competition opportunities and disrupted training experiences in 8th grade (when most of their team is in high school) and are similarly negatively impacted four years later when players from the older soccer age group, but who are still in high school, are moved down into the same soccer age group. Second, an Aug. 1st age group cut-off best aligns soccer age groups with school year ages (around the country), maximizing the number of players who participate in soccer programs with their school-year friends. This alignment has a positive correlation with increased numbers of youth players entering and staying in the sport.”
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*No age group cut-off will eliminate all trapped players.
VCF ACADEMY, SEATTLE
Valencia CF Academy Seattle players will tryout for teams in February (boys high school) and May. Coaches from Valencia CF travel from Spain to Seattle to conduct their tryouts and select the players. Rosters will be formed at the end of tryouts. The boys teams will compete in an 11v11 or 9v9 (U12 and U11) format in the Elite Academy (EA) and the girls will compete in the Washington Premier League (WPL). Players are monitored consistently by the Academy coaches in Valencia, Spain and will have opportunities to travel to Valencia to train and compete at the Valencia CF Academy Training City (Ciutat Esportiva). In addition, EA teams participate in an annual Regional Showcase Tournament.
EAGLECLAW FC
Eagleclaw FC players will tryout for teams in February (boys high school) and May. Rosters will be formed at the end of tryouts, teams will begin their season in May. The teams will compete in a 9v9 or 11v11 format in WPL, so the maximum roster size per team is 14-16 players (9 aside) & 16-18 players (11 aside). Players begin to master and understand the clubs curriculum and methodology preparing them for the next step in their soccer journey with us.
