U.S. Soccer
Player Development Initiative Mandate
Information for Parents and Families
Who is making these decisions?
• U.S. Soccer, the National Governing Body for soccer in the USA
• Mandated = every youth soccer org. will comply
• e.g. U.S. Youth Soccer (incl. MYSA), U.S. Club Soccer, AYSO, etc.
• Not an MYSA or club decision IF it will happen, just HOW to manage changes
Club
s
What is changing?
• Switch from Aug-Jul to Jan-Dec (“Birth-year”) registration
• New Small-Sided Game Standards
•
•
•
•
7v7 at U9/10 and 9v9 at U11/12 (currently 6v6 and 8v8)
Offside added at U9/10
Field size and Goal size changes
Build-out line to encourage playing out of the back, i.e. “good” soccer
When is this happening?
• Fall 2016 – Birth-Year Registration
• All 55 U.S. Youth Soccer state associations
• MYSA Leagues, State Cup, MRL, Regionals, U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship
• Fall 2017 - Small-Sided Game Standards
• MYSA (other states may implement earlier)
Why the changes?
• U.S. Soccer wants to improve the youth soccer environment
• More individual development focus vs. a team result culture
• Fully implement small-sided games across USA with consistent
standards
• Align player registration with international standards
• Simplify identification of “relative age effect” bias
• RAE = Selecting players born earlier within a group due to physical maturity
MN-Specific
Birth-Year Chart
Complication: The soccer year and
registration cutoff no longer align.
Example
In MN, players could play in a younger age
group in the fall, since that season ends
before the calendar flips. Then they would
move up an age group (after Jan. 1) for the
spring/summer season, or any tournaments.
2007 = U9 in 2016 and U10 in 2017.
(Current year – Birthyear = Age group)
This adds flexibility and challenges for clubs
and MYSA, for both player development and
league integrity.
2015-16
Age Group
U19
U18
U17
U16
U15
U14
U13
U12
U11
U10
U9
U8
U7
U6
2015-16
Birth Month Birth Year
Grade
Aug-Dec
1996
Coll
Jan-Jul
1997
Aug-Dec
1997
12th
Jan-Jul
1998
Aug-Dec
1998
11th
Jan-Jul
1999
Aug-Dec
1999
10th
Jan-Jul
2000
Aug-Dec
2000
9th
Jan-Jul
2001
Aug-Dec
2001
8th
Jan-Jul
2002
Aug-Dec
2002
7th
Jan-Jul
2003
Aug-Dec
2003
6th
Jan-Jul
2004
Aug-Dec
2004
5th
Jan-Jul
2005
Aug-Dec
2005
4th
Jan-Jul
2006
Aug-Dec
2006
3rd
Jan-Jul
2007
Aug-Dec
2007
2nd
Jan-Jul
2008
Aug-Dec
2008
1st
Jan-Jul
2009
Aug-Dec
2009
K
Jan-Jul
2010
Aug-Dec
2010
Jan-Jul
2011
2016
Fall
Coll
Coll
Gr 12
Gr 12
Gr 11
Gr 11
Gr 10
Gr 10
Gr 9
Gr 9
U14
U13
U13
U12
U12
U11
U11
U10
U10
U9
U9
U8
U8
U7
U7
U6
U6
2017
Summer
2017
Fall
2018
Summer
U19
U19
U18
U18
U17
U17
U16
U16
U15
U15
U14
U14
U13
U13
U12
U12
U11
U11
U10
U10
U9
U9
U8
U8
U7
U7
U6
Coll
Coll
Gr 12
Gr 12
Gr 11
Gr 11
Gr 10
Gr 10
Gr 9
Gr 9
U14
U13
U13
U12
U12
U11
U11
U10
U10
U9
U9
U8
U8
U7
U7
U6
U19
U19
U18
U18
U17
U17
U16
U16
U15
U15
U14
U14
U13
U13
U12
U12
U11
U11
U10
U10
U9
U9
U8
U8
U7
Game #'s
11v11
8v8/9v9
6v6/7v7
4v4
What can parents/families do?
• Be accurately informed - Chain of communication
• Families
Club leaders
MYSA
U.S. Youth Soccer and U.S. Soccer
• Keep the big picture in mind
• National standardization affects individuals, clubs, and states differently
• Be supportive of club leadership – no easy solutions
• Control what you can (and accept what you can’t)
• Reassure your child that s/he can adapt to these changes
Tryouts
December 4th, 9th, 11th in the RCTC
Dome
Why move? To help parents
with vacations during the short
window of end of the spring /
summer season and the start of
the fall / HS season
Why December? RCTC will not
put the dome up until
Thanksgiving week.
Closed Tryouts
Why not allow parents in?
Space requirements will be at a
minimal.