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PLAYING UP GUIDELINES

PLAYING UP GUIDELINES

Patriot FC recommends that most children play with their birth-year team.  We feel this provides the ideal environment for social and soccer development. We also recognize that advanced players may benefit by playing in an older age group. Patriot FC will allow players to try out for a team that is one (1) birth year older. Before making this decision players and families should speak with their coach and our Director of Coaching to see if playing up is the right decision.  Players who try out for a team are NOT guaranteed to be offered a roster spot.

Players who are interested in playing up are required to attend at least one (1)  tryout for their birth-year team.  This will allow the club to understand the landscape for each age group and help tryout evaluators determine the best fit for each player. 

For the 2020-21 season, there will be two (2) tryout dates for each age group.  Players are encouraged to attend all tryout sessions for the team(s) they want to play on.  For example, a player who wants to play up could attend up to four (4) tryouts; two (2) for their birth-year team & two (2) for the year older.

PLAYING UP CONSIDERATIONS

“Can my child ‘play up?” is a common question that parents ask.  We ask you to review the information below while considering if playing up is the best thing for your child:

  • We expect age groups to mostly be constructed of birth year players for the 2021-22 soccer year

  • Is playing up the right thing for my child’s soccer and social development?

  • Depending on when your child was born they will be between 12 and 23 months younger than the oldest players. See tables below for age group information.

2024 - 2025 AGE GROUP MATRIX

AGE GROUP

BIRTH YEAR

BIRTH DATE RANGE

SCHOOL GRADE

FIELD PLAYERS

U7

2018

1/1/2018

12/31/2018

K - 1st

4v4

U8

2017

1/1/2017

12/31/2017

1st - 2nd

4v4

U9

2016

1/1/2016

12/31/2016

2nd - 3rd

7v7

U10

2015

1/1/2015

12/31/2015

3rd - 4th

7v7

U11

2014

1/1/2014

12/31/2014

4th - 5th

9v9

U12

2013

1/1/2013

12/31/2013

5th - 6th

9v9

U13

2012

1/1/2012

12/31/2012

6th - 7th

11v11

U14

2011

1/1/2011

12/31/2011

7th - 8th

11v11

U15

2010

1/1/2010

12/31/2010

8th - 9th

11v11

U16

2009

1/1/2009

12/31/2009

9th -10th

11v11

U17

2008

1/1/2008

12/31/2008

10th - 11th

11v11

U18

2007

1/1/2007

12/31/2007

11th -12th

11v11

U1920061/1/2006 12/31/200612th+ 11v11 

 

PLAYING UP AGE DIFFERENCE

This table outlines the age difference between a child born in each month with the oldest players in the ‘playing up’ age group. For example, a child born in June who decides to ‘play up’ will be 17 months younger than the oldest players on their team and the teams they play against.

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

12 mo. younger

13 mo. younger

14 mo. younger

15 mo. younger

16 mo. younger

17 mo. younger

18 mo. younger

19 mo. younger

20 mo. younger

21 mo. younger

22 mo. younger

23 mo. younger

Contact

Patriot FC

12 Taylor Way 
Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania 18977

Email: [email protected]

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