Can a player play DOWN an age group? 

Yes. Only two players are allowed to play down per team. Age group is determined by birth year.

We recognize that it's not typical, but we understand that siblings, cousins, and classmates often want to play together because they don’t have the opportunity to do so in club soccer. Additionally, we know that player development involves experiencing different challenges in the game. For this reason, we believe that playing against opponents who are older, faster, and stronger—even if they may not have as much technical skill—can be valuable. It helps players improve their decision-making, adapt to different playing styles, and face higher levels of competition, all of which contribute to their overall development. 

Our league is meant to complement, not replace, the other activities players are already involved in. We’ve noticed an increase in private training sessions, where players often train with older athletes for similar reasons—exposure to different challenges to aid development. Our league follows the same concept, but here, players experience real game situations and scenarios, which provides practical, game-based learning in a team environment.

ALL the parents understand that it will affect their kids playing time.