1. What is the Age Group Transition?

Player groupings will be determined by school year (August 1-July 31) rather than calendar year (January 1-December 31).

2. Why are age groups changing?

U.S. Soccer has facilitated this change to better align players with their school grade peers, which will improve social development and reduce player dropouts.

3. What Leagues/Clubs will this change apply to?

All clubs/teams that participate in NCSL, EDP, ECNL, MLS-NEXT and GA must follow this change.

4. What players are most likely to be impacted?

Players with birthdays from August 1-December 31 are most likely to be affected by this change.  These players will remain in their current (Spring 2026) age group for the upcoming year.  

Example: a player born August 1, 2017 (current U9 age group) will remain in U9 for the 2026/27 season.

5. Will this change impact the current (Spring 2026) season?

No, there will be no impact for the Spring 2026 season.

6. Are players allowed to "play-up" to stay on their current team?

BRU Technical staff approve play-up requests only when it is in the player's best interest, based on skill, maturity, and/or development needs.  Play-ups are generally allowed only in exceptional cases.

7. Are players born in August or September allowed to "play up" to stay with players in their grade?

Decisions on play-up requests will be made on what is best for the individual player's development.  School grade alone does not guarantee the opportunity to play up.

8. What is my child's new age group for 2026/27?

Please refer to the Age Group Matrix below.  You may also check your child's birthdate against the U.S. Soccer Age Group Calculator, found here.

9. When are Blue Ridge United's 2026/27 tryouts?

Our tryout schedule will be released in February.