Region 255 Fall Programs
AYSO is a national soccer organization that is child-first and child focused. We strive to deliver a quality youth soccer program which promotes a fun, family environment based on AYSO's Six Philosophies. Every girl and boy stepping on a field for the first time can have fun while they develop soccer skills and learn to enjoy the world's most popular sport. It's also a game you can play and enjoy for the rest of your life. AYSO starts with a non-competitive, purely fun experience at the earliest ages, and continues with age-appropriate small-sided games as players grow. Smaller-sided teams for younger children allow more touches on the ball and a more successful soccer-learning environment. We focus on positive messages, and ensure that each child plays more than half of each game (usually 3/4 or more). All age cutoffs are now based upon the calendar year and players are placed in divisions based upon the year in which they were born.
AYSO BIRTH YEAR CHART
6U: Boys & Girls 4 and 5 years old: Players are part of a team, which plays a weekly game on Saturdays. These age divisions introduce weekly practices in addition to the Saturday games. Practices are generally one hour in length on a weekday. Games are 32-minute in length, and are played 5v5 on a small field and are purely for fun; we don't keep score and we don't have standings.
8U: Boys & Girls 6 and 7 years old: These age divisions have weekly practices in addition to the Saturday games. Practices are generally one hour in length on a weekday. Games are 40 minutes in length, and are played 7v7 on a small field with proportionally small nets and goalkeepers. Experience shows that 6 and 7-year olds lack the physical development and psychological focus to play the goalkeeper position, and that eliminating the keepers opens up the game and makes it more free-flowing. The small-sided experience allows each player to fully participate in the game. Play is still purely for fun; we don't keep score and we don't have standings.
10U Boys & Girls 8 and 9 years old: In this division we introduce goalkeeping and competitive play. Weekly games are 50 minutes long, and are played 7v7. This is the first division in which we maintain scores and keep standings. A tournament will be held in to determine the Area O champion. From this tournament, teams may be invited to travel to the Section 10 tournament in Bakersfield.
12U: Boys & Girls 10 and 11 years old: In this division games are 60 minutes long and are played 9v9. With the larger team size, players are introduced to positional play that approximates full soccer. Yet the 9-player teams allow greater space on the field and more involvement by each player. In this division we maintain scores and keep standings. A tournament will be held to determine the Area O champion. From this tournament, teams may be invited to travel to the Section 10 tournament in Bakersfield.
14U/16U/19U: Boys & Girls 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 years old: In this co-ed division games are 80 minutes long and are played either 9v9 or 11v11 depending on sizes of teams. In this division we maintain scores and keep standings.