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Birth Year to Grade Year Team Formation Update
Effective Summer/Fall 2026
Oregon Futbol Academy is committed to keeping families informed as youth soccer continues to evolve nationwide.
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Beginning in Summer 2026, OFA will transition from forming teams based on a player’s birth year to forming teams based on a player’s school grade year. This update is required by U.S. Soccer and Oregon Youth Soccer Association (OYSA) and will affect clubs across the country.
Our goal is to make this change clear, smooth, and family-friendly.
US Youth Soccer & OYSA Policy Change
Why Is This Change Happening?
The primary goal is to better align soccer teams with school-grade peers. Under the old calendar-year system, some players became “out of sync” with classmates. This created what associations call “trapped players” — children who were placed in age groups that didn’t match their school grade.
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From a developmental perspective, aligning teams by grade year helps create:
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Stronger team chemistry
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Better social connection among teammates
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More consistent emotional and physical development environments
Learn why U.S. Soccer is transitioning to grade-year groupings here
OFA Timeline: When Does This Begin?
May 2026
Grade-year teams will be used during the U12–U15 Assessment & Placement period.
Summer 2026
Grade-year groupings will be used for Summer Programs and Camps
Fall 2026
Grade-year grouping becomes the standard for official team formation
How Grade-Year Placement Works
Grade-year groupings follow a school-year cutoff window: August 1 – July 31
Example (for the 2026–27 school year):
Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2017 → typically the 4th Grade group
Aug 1, 2015 – Jul 31, 2016 → typically the 5th Grade group
Because August 1st is the cutoff date, players born on July 31st and August 1st fall into different seasonal-year groupings. This format aligns soccer teams more closely with school-grade levels.
What This Means for Your Player?
With the move to Grade year (August 1 – July 31) format, some players may see a change in their U-age label compared to the previous calendar-year system.
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This does not mean a player is ahead, behind, or developing faster or slower. It simply reflects alignment with the new grade-year grouping structure.
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The intent of this change is to:
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Keep players aligned with their classmates
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Create stronger team chemistry
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Provide a more consistent developmental pathway
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At OFA, placement decisions will continue to prioritize each player’s overall growth and experience.
What Stays the same at ofa?
While the age-group structure is changing, OFA’s commitment remains the same:
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Development-first coaching
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Positive team environments
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Clear communication with families
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Long-term player growth
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Our mission and philosophy do not change — only the grouping structure does.
if your have any questions regarding the 2026/27 Grade YEar change, please contact
OFA's Registrar, registrar@oregonfutbolacademy.com
541-471-1099
