US Youth Soccer Expands Age Participation for the 2021 USYS National League, National Championship Series and Presidents Cup
FRISCO, Texas (July 16, 2020) — US Youth Soccer (USYS) is excited to make the following changes to their USYS National League (including the Conferences, Showcase Series and Playoffs) and National Championship Series (including State, Regional and National competitions):
The oldest admissible age group FOR THE 2020-21 SEASONAL YEAR ONLY will be 19/20-U. Eligible players’ must be born on or after January 1, 2001. This one-year change is in place to allow players to participate in one additional year of eligibility due to the missed programming as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The National League enthusiastically embraces this change as it gives impacted players another shot at achieving their dreams,” said Marley Wilson, Director, USYS National League and Competitions
“The National Championship Committee unanimously supports this initiative to allow players an additional chance to raise a US Youth Soccer National Championship trophy,” said Bob Hart, Chair, USYS National Championship Committee.
US Youth Soccer (USYS) is also excited to make the following changes to their USYS Presidents Cup (including the State, Regional and National competitions):
The oldest admissible age group FOR THE 2020-21 SEASONAL YEAR ONLY will be 18/19-U. Eligible players’ must be born on or after January 1, 2002. This one-year change is in place to allow players to participate in one additional year of eligibility due to the missed programming as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The National Presidents Cup Committee is excited to offer 19U players the opportunity to participate in the 2021 Presidents Cup competitions, which were cancelled this past year through no fault of their own,” said Will Maffit, Chair, National Presidents Cup Committee.
Given the current challenges faced by so many members of the USYS Family, USYS is hopeful that this will allow more players to not only experience the thrill of heightened competition, but also fulfill their dreams of being champions.
We Are Youth Soccer!
July 23, 2020
To: All USYS State Presidents/CEOs/Executive Directors and Staff
From: Marley Wilson – Director, USYS National League and Cups
Re: SafeSport Compliance Requirements for Expanded Age Participation in 2021 USYS National League, National Championship Series and Presidents Cup
As we recently shared, US Youth Soccer (USYS) is excited to expand the age ranges for the USYS National League, National Championship Series and Presidents Cup for the 2020-21 seasonal year.
As a result of this change, we anticipate there will be interactions amongst older players who are classified by SafeSport as ‘adults’ and minors, and as such those older players are required to complete SafeSport compliance training. As a member of USYS and US Soccer Federation, our players have free access to the training portal. Please review the information and links below for SafeSport training and compliance requirements.
The Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was enacted in February of 2018. It was designed to protect all athletes, including amateur athletes*. The US Congress designated the U.S. Center for SafeSport to serve as the independent national safe sport organization, with the additional responsibility for the Center to develop national policies and procedures to prevent the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of amateur athletes. The legislation is available for download (click here).
*An amateur athlete is any child or minor under the age of 18.
Due to the most recent expanded age ranges for the 2020-21 season, we are required to offer and provide training to adult members who are in contact with amateur athletes who are minors. To enroll in this training program just click on the link below, click on “Sign In,” then click on “Register.” When prompted make sure to select U.S. Soccer as your NGB and then enter the access code proved below.
- In order to complete your course registration you will receive an email to confirm your email address. You must respond to this email to activate your account.
- Upon completion, print out your certificate and keep on file.
For more information, please see the U.S. Center for SafeSport fact sheet: https://www.safesport.org/files/details/78
Asking our participants to complete SafeSport compliance ensures that everyone’s experience at our upcoming events will be a positive and safe one for all involved.
To provide further information on our changes for the 2020-21 season, please see several FAQs below.
Frequently Asked Questions
(As of July 23, 2020)
Does this age group adjustment extend to all levels of play including travel leagues and rec?
The adjustments made by USYS only apply to the State Association level of US Youth Soccer National Championship, National Presidents Cup or Regional or National League competitions. A State Association may separately permit variances in Rules 104 and 205 of this policy if they determine it is in the best interest of developing the sport within the jurisdiction of their State Association.
Further details on Players and Playing Rules can be found here: https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/file.aspx?DocumentId=2307
Do the players affected by this adjustment now need SafeSport training and background checks?
Yes, all participating Adults (defined as anyone over the age of 18) who has regular interactions with Youth soccer participants must go through SafeSport training and background check within the first 45 days of gaining access to Youth participants.
Does the adjustment and inclusion of 19U/20U teams require Clubs to add or adjust insurance coverages?
Yes. Please work directly with your insurance carrier for more details.
On behalf of the USYS staff, we thank you for your ongoing support.
We Are Youth Soccer!