FALL 2026 SEASON FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! / WHAT SHOULD I DO TO SIGN UP?

Go to our Registration Page and register your kids with a few basic pieces of information.


WHO CAN PLAY?

AYSO has teams for girls and boys who are between the ages of 3 and 19.  There are no try outs. While most families reside in Belmont or Redwood Shores, this is not a requirement.


HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Early registration has been extended through June 14th. The early registration fee is $250 ($225 to AYSO 108 and $25 to AYSO National).

Regular registration starts June 15th. The regular registration fee is $325 ($300 to AYSO 108 and $25 to AYSO National).


WHAT IF MY FAMILY CAN'T AFFORD THE REGISTRATION FEE?

Everyone Plays! Partial and full scholarships are available to those in need. No questions asked. Please reach out to our Registrar if you need assistance.


HOW ARE KIDS ASSIGNED TO AGE DIVISIONS?

AYSO now follows US Soccer's division birth dates.  Your child will be placed in a division based on their age on August 1st, 2026.

AYSO does not allow “play downs.”  If you would like to request a “play up,” those requests must be made via email to the Belmont RWS Registrar.  Play ups will be evaluated on a case by case basis and must be approved by the Regional Commissioner.  Players may not skip an entire division.

The age guide is for games and competitions that begin on or after Aug. 1st, 2026 and end by July 31st, 2027.

WHAT IS A WAIT LIST? NO FEES TO JOIN THE WAITLIST

On occasion we will place players on a wait list. When we do, preference is given to players whose families are willing to volunteer as Coach, Referee, or in another position.

HOW ARE TEAMS FORMED?

We strive to keep teams balanced. Balanced Teams is one of AYSO's 6 Philosophies.

No one wants a team that crushes all their opponents. No one wants a team that is crushed by all their opponents. We do our best to assign players so teams are competitive. While we try our best to do this, it's never perfect. Kids develop at different rates, their growth from the prior year may help/hinder their play, some teams "gel" better than others, there's a bunch of factors that we have no control over. But we do try to balance teams as best we can. 


WHERE WILL PRACTICES BE HELD? ON WHAT DAYS? AT WHAT TIME? CAN I CHOOSE?    

Coaches determine the days and times of their practices.

If you volunteer as a coach, you get to choose the days and times for practice.

Practice field locations are assigned based on availability and the player age group. Special requests may be approved only for those coaching two teams.

DIVISION Practices/week May hold one practice before game Practice Duration

WHEN AND WHERE WILL GAMES BE PLAYED?

Games are usually played on Saturdays between 9am and 3pm. The details of the game opponent, the play location and times are set close to the start of the season in September.  Factors include the number of teams in our region, teams we play in the neighboring regions and field availability.


HOW LONG IS A SOCCER MATCH?    

The length depends on the player's assigned division. Half time is typically 5 minutes between the halves. You should plan on arriving at least 15 minutes before game time. Many coaches, especially at older divisions, will ask you to arrive 30 minutes early. Some even earlier.

HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER?  

AYSO is a volunteer based organization. All our coaches, referees, and support positions are volunteers. We need you!

Descriptions of volunteer positions are on our Volunteers page. Send a message to [email protected] if you have questions or would like to help. You'll get plenty of support as you learn the ropes from our more experienced volunteers.


I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT AYSO SOCCER THAT WERE NOT ANSWERED, WHO CAN I CONTACT?

If you are unable to find your answers here or in other parts of our website, feel free to contact us at [email protected].