Page 3: Due to the COVID-19 virus, the IASF has prolonged the age grid changes through the 2021-22 season. Adjustment 1: For the 2021–2022-season, U17 (formerly known as junior) teams are granted an extra year of eligibility at the higher end of the age group. For example, a 16-year-old can now compete against 17-year-olds.
In other words, U17 means you can be up to two years older than your opponent. This allows young athletes who have been playing together since they were 11 or 12 years old the chance to keep competing against each other instead of having to move up a division when one player gets to U16.
For example, if Charlie is 13 and Joe is 14, then Charlie would be eligible for the U15 division while Joe would have to move up to U16. But with the new rule, both boys could stay in the same division until they are 15 years old.
Joe might not want to stay in the U15 division that long though; being only four months older than his brother, he might feel outclassed by Charlie who is already more mature than him. So it's possible Joe could decide to move up a division too. Maybe he wants to try out for the U13 team so he can be with his friends again.
Age Eligibility for the 2021 Season Based on Birth Year (which begins August 1, 2020)
| Age Group | Birth Date |
|---|---|
| 13U | 2007-2012 |
| 14U | 2006-2011 |
| 15U | 2005-2010 |
| 16U | 2004-2009 |
These figures indicate the maximum playing age permitted on a given team. The letter "u" stands for "under." As a result, a 12U squad will include of players that are no older than 12 years old. A 12U squad can have players under the age of 12, but never over the age of 12. Your child's playing age is decided by his or her age on May 1, 2017.
A youth soccer league may be called any number of things including a preschool league, a little leaguer, etc. But most commonly, it's referred to as a "boys' league" or a "girls' league." The purpose of these leagues is for children to play soccer while they're still young enough to enjoy it. Some parents prefer having their sons play on teams with other men and their daughters on teams with other women. Others believe that since they're only playing on a recreational level there's no need to divide them up by gender.
There are several different types of youth soccer leagues. If your area has an adult league that operates like the one in the photo then there should be plenty of opportunities available for your son or daughter. Most adults don't want to play if there aren't enough goals or fields to go around so make sure to check out the listings first. You may also want to ask about special promotions or giveaways that are held during season finales or holidays.
Under-15 (U15) Age Group is for female players who are at least 3 years old by January 1 and no more than 5 years old on December 31 of that same year.
Players must be born after January 1, 1992 to be eligible for this age group.
Eligibility will be verified by the IIHF. If eligibility is not confirmed, a player will be removed from all team lists with which she is registered.
For example, an U15 player identified by her birth date (e.g., "1992-01-01") should be able to provide this information herself. A registration form with space for the birth date is available at every tournament site. The birth date must be entered accurately; errors in spelling or month/day/year order will result in disqualification.
The U15 age category is for young female players who have not yet reached their physical peak. This means that they are still growing, developing and learning how to handle the increased speed, strength and skill of youth hockey. They need time to grow, mature and improve before being exposed to the higher levels of play.
2020-2021 Season
| Playing Age | Birth Year |
|---|---|
| U10 | 2011 |
| U9 | 2012 |
| U8 | 2013 |
| U7 | 2014 |
For the forthcoming autumn and spring seasons, most leagues in the United States recognize August 1st as the universal age cutoff date. So, if a youngster is "U" under 8 on July 31st but not "U" under 7, they will be in the U8 category. The age groupings are U7, U8, U9, etc.
Soccer is the world's game of choice among children and adolescents. It is believed that more than 70 million people play soccer worldwide. Although the World Cup may get all the attention, it is actually the Champions League that determines who becomes champion. The two tournaments are very different: one is an annual event while the other is held only once every four years.
In 2004, when the Champions League began, there were actually three groups of four teams each. After eight games, the top team from each group went into a single-match final to determine which club would advance to the next round. But this system wasn't used long because it was found to be too difficult to decide a winner after just one match. So, from 2008-2012, the number of teams in each group was reduced to three to make the competition easier to finish.
Now, back to our question: what does "u 8" mean in soccer? In English soccer, the term "u 8" is used to indicate that a player is between eight and nine years old.
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