Get ready folks
- Thread starter soccer4us
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How would this work for these clubs' non ECNL kids? Would there be a pool of ECNL/SY kids and then a distinct pool of Socal/BY kids? It wouldn't be that difficult to do - but is this really what would happen?
A good example to just pull the band aid off and roll this out asap
ECNL can put a cap. MLS allows up to 3 players to do biobanding to play down. ECNL can allow up to 3 Q3/Q4 players to play down in their grade team. This will not impact the club overall.
Thatonedad
SILVER
If you read the fine print it actually says it’s a recommendation to not change for 25/26. Not saying ECNL will change for Fall 25 but it sounds like no one will oppose them if they did.
As popular as it is to criticize US Soccer (and I'm not excluding myself) this result is reasonable and I believe the best result possible solution. Hopefully what results from this is leagues can compete based on (among other things) what age cutoff they use. For rec leagues, they can use SY, so that rec level kids can play with their school friends. For kids/parents who see themselves playing on the national teams against international competition they can play in leagues that use BY to align with international play. ECNL can use SY to appeal to college recruiters and to take advantage of whatever is left of that pathway after the legal wrangling concludes. MLS next / GA / etc, can decide which way they want to go - align with ECNL or go head-to-head against them and remain BY. Tourneys can decide to set up their tourneys to favor BY or SY or the biggest tourneys can have separate divisions within each age group: one for BY and one for SY. Overall, US Soccer won't lose as many of the youngest players who would otherwise quit because they aren't having success at the earliest ages playing against kids 10-12 months older than them. Like all change, it will take some adjusting, but we're a big country of smart people and talented kids. It'll work out.
Just in case anyone was thinking the US Soccer PDF was fake - it was just referenced by DPL
dpleague.org
Update on Birth Year Review & Next Steps – The DPL
dpleague.org
Why does anyone need to do anything at all? Teams can stay the way they are, kids born between September and December are essentially playing up if they don’t change teams. Come tryout time, if you are good you stay on the team, if not good you move down to your own school year team. This is the best approach. If they force everyone to move based on the SY, then that will create unhappy parents.
Tournaments can go straight to SY right away right now or wait a year. Doesn’t matter. SY teams will just have September- Dec kids “playing up” on their current teams. No one is getting disqualified.
The only way the transition is not going to be smooth is if they force people to move teams to form SY teams. Just let the tryout decide who is on what team.
The only way the transition is not going to be smooth is if they force people to move teams to form SY teams. Just let the tryout decide who is on what team.
davidnunez
BRONZE
ECNL is not changing. Surf posted a social media announcement about "no changes". Surf has an oversized influence compared to other clubs in ecnl
Soccermomma24
BRONZE
Any chance you can post a screenshot here? ECNL is not changing for 2025 or not ever changing, including 2026?
Thatonedad
SILVER
The age groups at least for ECNL are definitely going to change starting Fall 26. There is a possibility that ECNL does allow the trapped 8th graders to play down. It doesn’t sound like ECNL will make a full change for 25/26 but 2011-2013 may do something different. More Details will come out by end of January early February. This would only be ECNL idk anything about the other leagues. I barely know anything to begin with only get small nuggets of info from time to time.
I hope ECNL will allow a certain number of Q3/Q4 players to play in their grade. A lot of GA players will want to try, and ECNL will also have more college recruiting after this.
It's more than that. It's no changes until fall 2026. This means 1.5 years of BY.
Also, if you read the US Soccer statement no specific definition of SY has been defined. They appear to be allowing different leagues to have "flexibility" around letting players play with their grade in school. I'm sure there will be more meetings which will allow alignment on specific SY details. But as of now in fall 2026 all the leagues can do whatever they want SY, BY, or whatever.
Just to throw another curveball, all the leagues could choose to only do SY with youngers and let olders age out with BY. This is something people aren't considering.
I havet heard of any clubs joining GA.
But, I also haven't heard of any clubs leaving GA either.
Explain this please
SoccerSanDiego
SILVER
Interesting read from SoCal league chariman. I wholeheartedly agree with:
the new decision made by US Soccer to let the leagues decide whether to choose birth year or school year “re-enforces the USSF’s total disregard for taking leadership in the youth game. Instead of being a voice of reason for the millions of youth players, it has thrown a problem back to the capitalistic club owners that run the youth game.”
Webster writes that US Soccer has “missed the opportunity to create a coherent structure, ceding their leadership to ‘mom and pop’ organizations to dictate American soccer – surely a recipe for continued disaster.”
Article: World Soccer Talk Birth Year Change
the new decision made by US Soccer to let the leagues decide whether to choose birth year or school year “re-enforces the USSF’s total disregard for taking leadership in the youth game. Instead of being a voice of reason for the millions of youth players, it has thrown a problem back to the capitalistic club owners that run the youth game.”
Webster writes that US Soccer has “missed the opportunity to create a coherent structure, ceding their leadership to ‘mom and pop’ organizations to dictate American soccer – surely a recipe for continued disaster.”
Article: World Soccer Talk Birth Year Change