FAQs

Click here for the Operations section of our Resources page. 

It stands for Under. This means that each team member will be “under” the specified age.

Our earliest soccer programming starts at age 5. Sometimes it’s possible to allow 4-year-olds to play, but it’s often discouraged as they would be placed in the same team and league as 5 and 6-year-olds. 

While youth soccer doesn’t last forever, one of the most appealing aspects of soccer is that it can be played by anyone at any age. Washington Youth Soccer obviously only oversees youth soccer, which is considered to be players from ages 5-19. Players over the age of 19 can continue playing at the university or professional level, but are otherwise considered amateur players, rather than youth players, and must register with the Washington State Soccer Association. There are also ample non-playing soccer opportunities for young adults wanting to stay in the game, such as coaching, refereeing, and team management. 

Cost is determined at multiple levels, but most directly by your local club. Costs not only include registration fees, but often also uniforms, equipment, travel expenses, and more. Please contact your local organization for more information.

Click on the “Find a Local Club” button on the homepage. Enter your zip code, search range, and level of play. Select a club to check out their website to get more information and how to contact their administrators. 

Sporting goods stores and big box stores like Target and Wal-Mart often have a variety of soccer balls, cleats, and other equipment for you and your child to choose from. Our partners at Adidas also have a fantastic online store with some of the best soccer equipment on the market.

1. Check out the Coaching Education page.
2. Learn about the different course types and the latest schedule on the Course Schedule & Description page. 
3. Once you have found the appropriate course and location, click on the link. You will be redirected to the US Soccer Learning Center to register and sign up for individual courses.
4. Should you have any questions, please contact Paul Bayly at PaulB@washingtonyouthsoccer.org. 

The most common reason for this is an invoice that has not been paid. Check with your association to make sure the appropriate funds have been sent. If they have paid the invoice in full, please contact Nicole Peters at NicoleP@washingtonyouthsoccer.org, so we can correct the issue quickly.

• Use the Find A Local Club section of our website to get your club’s website and contact information.
• Contact your local association to find out about volunteer opportunities at that level and beyond. See the full list of Association for contact info and which clubs fall under each association. 

No coaches, managers, or team administrators are able to work with children until they have passed through Washington Youth Soccer’s Risk Management (RMA) program. Washington Youth Soccer runs a background check on all registered volunteers to make sure all players are as safe as possible.

In nearly all Washington Youth Soccer programs, boys and girls play on separate teams. Occasionally, you’ll see co-ed teams at younger levels. However, per our classification process, if you add one boy to a “girls” team, and that team will be considered a “boys” team. A girl playing on a “boys” team will not change their team classification.

Typically, games are held once a week on Saturdays for ages U-6 to U-15 and on Sundays for ages U-16 to U-19. Ages U-6 through U-10 typically play in or near their club’s community. Older age groups and teams in more competitive leagues may have games in neighboring communities. The highest level competitive teams (Select and Premier) may play other teams from all over Washington State.

Other than a ball and a desire to play the game, players must have appropriate (and hopefully comfortable) footwear, shin guards, and correct-length socks.

Footwear can range from indoor soccer shoes (grooved rubber sole), to turf shoes (small rubber nubs), to cleats (10-12 molded plastic pieces on soles), to studs (6-8 metal spikes on soles). The field surface and weather conditions will determine the appropriate footwear. The flatter and harder the field, players will want flat, soft shoes (indoor or turf). Playing on grass usually requires cleats. Older teens and adults may benefit from studs, and then usually only when the game is being played on a field with exceptionally long or wet grass.

Shin guards are mandatory equipment for any official game. Shin guards can cost as little as $5 or more than $50, depending on the materials. They can range from a simple piece of plastic to state-of-the-art synthetic materials. 

It is the responsibility of the referee to determine that all players are in compliance with FIFA Laws of the Game Law 4, which states in part that “A player must not use equipment or wear anything which is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewelry).” A referee may look at shoes that have been manufactured for another sport and decide that the shoes would be safe on the soccer field, but it is also possible that a specific shoe, in the opinion of the referee, would be dangerous on the field. The style of baseball shoe that included a flat metal cleat by the toe would undoubtedly fall into this unsafe category. Even some shoes manufactured for soccer could be dangerous. For instance, cleats with screw-in studs may be worn down so that there is metal showing. In such an instance, the referee may consider these to be unsafe.