3U.S. Soccer has made several mandates that standardize youth club soccer across the United States and brings the U.S. in line with the rest of the world. There are 3 major changes as part of this process: change to birth year age groups, concussions and heading, and small sided game standards for U12 and younger players. You may read a more detailed presentation about these changes from U.S. Soccer in the PDF at Wisconsin Youth Soccer’s Website.

Birth Year Age Groups:

Who this affects in the club: EVERYONE!

The official soccer year runs from August 1 – July 31 of the following year. TASK typically only plays a spring season running from May – June/July. We are approaching the start of the 2016/2017 soccer year. For this year, all age groups will be changed to be determined by birth year. (It used to be determined based on the soccer year). Children who were born in the first half of the calendar year will continue to progress in age groups as they have. Children born in the second half of the calendar year will “skip” a U age group. This means kids may be split between classes.

What is my child’s “U” age group?

The math is much easier now. Take the year the season ends and then subtract the year your child was born. That will be the new age group.

As example, say your child is born in 2003. The coming season ends in 2017. Your child is a U14 – (2017 – 2003 = 14).

Still need help – look at the birth year age matrix.

Who can play?

For the 2017 soccer year, children born between 1998 and 2012 are eligible to play. TASK will continue to form teams based on 2 age groups (U6, U8, U10, U12, U14, and U19). If you child is an odd numbered U age group, they will play on the older group team – so a U5 plays in U6, a U7 plays in the U8s, etc.

I want my child to play with their class mates, can this happen?

Wisconsin Youth Soccer allows players to play up a maximum of 2 age brackets for kids under U14. So if the grade your child is in crosses age groups, you will be allowed to request to play up to stay with class mates. For example, if you child is going into 4th grade in the fall of 2016 – they will fall under either a U10 or U11 age group. The U10’s (those born in 2007) can request to play up to stay with their class. This could potentially mean you are playing with kids who are 2 grades ahead of your child though. As in the above example, the 2007 U10 child requests to play up, they may play against U12 children in 6th grade (born in 2009).

Concussions and Heading

There are 2 parts to this rule change. The first deals with concussions and head injuries.

If a player is suspected to have a head injury, the referee should stop play for treatment/evaluation.
If the player leaves the field of play for additional evaluation, substitution can be made in that moment
The player may NOT return to the game unless cleared by a Health Care Professional or Certified Athletic Trainer
Any coach or parent insisting on returning to game without clearance will result in the referee ending the game

The second portion of the rule involves heading the ball and is a result of studies around concussions

Children under the age of 14 who sustain a serious concussion at a significantly larger risk of permanent brain damage
The majority of concussions in soccer that occur in children under the age of 10, happen during attempts to head the ball
Consequently, U.S. Soccer is enforcing a ban to heading in children under age 11, and limiting heading until the age of 14
In any game of U11 or under, the act of deliberately heading the ball results in an indirect free kick for the opposing team
- The U11 format only applies to classic games, as the recreation teams play a combined U11 & U12 age bracket
Players between the ages of 11 and 13, may head the ball without limits in game, but practice is limited to a max of 30 minutes per week, and no more than 15 – 20 headers per player, per week

Small Sided Games (U12 and Younger)

There are 3 major rule changes that will affect U10 children. The other changes are more technical in nature and outlined in the chart below.

U10 Rule Changes

Goal Keepers are NOT allowed to punt the ball. They must throw or roll it out of their penalty box.
- If a goal keeper punts the ball, the opposing team gets an indirect free kick at midfield.
There will be a “play out” line on the field 18 yards from each goal line.
- All players attacking that goal must move behind that line when:
  - The goal keeper gets possession of the ball in their hands or
  - On a goal kick
- Those opponents cannot cross the play out line until the ball has been touched by another player
- Attacking players that do not get behind the line and try to be active in the play will result in an indirect free kick.
- The purpose of the play out line is to allow the goal keeper to distribute the ball to their team mates and teach build-up play.
The Offside rule will now be enforced at the U10 age level
- A player is in a offside position if he or she is closer to the opponents goal than:
  - The ball or
  - The 2nd to last defender
- An offside foul is called if when the ball is played and
  - a player is in a offside position and
  - the player is active in the play
- This means a player can be in an offside position, but not have a offside foul called if they are not active in the play.
- Players cannot be in an offside position on:
  - A throw in
  - A goal kick
  - When they are in their defensive half of the field

Other Changes

The other changes relate to the number of players that play at a time and field sizes. The changes as they affect TASK are outlined in the below table. Parts that represent a change for TASK are in BOLD.

Age	Birth Year	# of Players	Game Length	Ball Size	Field Length	Field Width	Goal Size	Goak Keeper	Offsides
U6	2012 2011	4v4	4 x 10 min	3	30 yards	20 yards	4′ x 6′	No	No
U8	2010 2009	4v4	4 x 10 min	3	30 yards	20 yards	4′ x 6′	No	No
U10	2008 2007	7v7	2 x 25 min	4	60 yards	40 yards	6.5′ by 18.5′	Yes	Yes
U12	2006 2005	9v9	2 x 30 min	4	70 yards	50 yards	6.5′ x 18.5′	Yes	Yes