Which age group is my child in?
Canadian youth basketball groups players by birth year. Kids move up every season: last year's U13 is this year's U14, so always check which season an age group refers to.
Four digits, between 2007 and 2022.
Full table
Each cell is the earliest birth year allowed: players born that year or later can play in the group.
| Group | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U9 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| U10 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| U11 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| U12 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
| U13 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| U14 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| U15 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| U16 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| U17 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| U18 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| U19 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
How each sport groups kids
Each sport groups kids differently: soccer and hockey by birth year, basketball by school year in some provinces, tennis and skating by stage. These are the 2026-27 rules published by the national and provincial bodies.
National rulesHockey Canada
Birth year (age on December 31)
| Group | Birth years | Format and length | Ball / gear | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U7 (Timbits U7) | 2020 and later (2022 = age 4, at the association's option) | 4v4 cross-ice (plus a player defending the goal) · Two periods, run-time clock, max 60 min; shifts max 2 min, changes on a buzzer | Blue 4 oz puck recommended; small nets (2x3, 3x4 or 4x6 ft) | Age is counted on Dec 31 of the playing year (Dec 31, 2026). Cross-ice all season on a surface no larger than 100 x 60 ft; no score kept, and every player takes turns in goal (no full goalie gear needed). Local associations may choose to register 4-year-olds. Source |
| U9 | 2018–2019 | 4v4 half-ice plus goalies (8-year-olds may move to full ice from Jan 15) · Two periods, run-time clock, max 60 min; shifts max 2 min | Blue 4 oz or black 6 oz puck; goalies in full goalie equipment | Seven-year-olds play half-ice all season; eight-year-olds play half-ice October–December and may move to full ice on or after January 15. No score is kept; all players should get a turn in goal. Source |
| U11 (formerly Atom) | 2016–2017 | Full ice | Standard black puck; CSA helmet + full CSA face protector + BNQ neck guard | Ages are counted on Dec 31 of the playing year. No body checking is allowed in U13 and younger (Hockey Canada rule since 2013-14). U11 is the first division played on full ice all season. Source |
| U13 (formerly Peewee) | 2014–2015 | Full ice | Standard black puck | No body checking at U13 and below: Hockey Canada removed body checking from Peewee (now U13) and younger starting in 2013-14. Source |
| U15 (formerly Bantam) | 2012–2013 | Full ice | Standard black puck | Hockey Canada's 2013 ban on body checking covered Peewee (U13) and younger only, so U15 (former Bantam) is the first age where body checking can be allowed. Whether a given U15 team plays body-checking hockey depends on the province and tier (e.g. Alberta's U15 Tiers 4–6 are non-checking), so ask your association. Source |
| U18 (formerly Midget) | 2009–2011 | Full ice | Standard black puck | Three birth years play together in U18. Full CSA facial protector is compulsory in all divisions except Senior and Major Junior, and a BNQ-certified throat protector is required for all minor and female hockey players. Source |
| U21 (formerly Junior) | 2006–2008 | Full ice | — | Hockey Canada renamed its age divisions in 2019 (Atom = U11, Peewee = U13, Bantam = U15, Midget = U18, Junior = U21); only the names changed, the birth-year groupings stayed the same. Source |
AlbertaHockey Alberta
Birth year (age on December 31)
| Group | Birth years | Format and length | Ball / gear | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U7 and U9 (Intro to Hockey) | U7: 2020–2021; U9: 2018–2019 | 4v4 plus goalie; U7 cross-ice/half-ice all season; U9 half-ice through January 31 · Two halves of about 24–27 minutes; no score kept | Blue 4 oz puck (required for U7 games); 3 x 4 ft nets; U7 goalies use only a goalie stick, U9 goalies wear full gear | In Alberta, U9 stays on half-ice until January 31 (Hockey Canada allows full ice from January 15); from Feb 1 to Mar 30 U9 teams may play a limited number of full-ice 5 v 5 events with no score kept. Teams of up to 18 players are split into two units of nine. Source |
| U15 Tiers 4–6 (non-checking) | 2012–2013 | Full ice | — | In Alberta, U15 Tiers 4–6 play non-checking, body-contact-only hockey (since 2020-21); body checking at U15 remains only in the higher tiers. Source |
| U18 Tiers 4–6 (non-body-checking) | 2009–2011 | Full ice | — | In Alberta, U18 Tiers 4–6 have been non-body-checking / body-contact-only since 2022-23. Source |
British ColumbiaBC Hockey
Birth year (age on December 31)
| Group | Birth years | Format and length | Ball / gear | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC age divisions (U7–U21) and NHL/NHLPA First Shift | — | — | — | In BC, the minor hockey association (MHA) a child plays for is set by the family's residential address. Beginners aged 6–10 who have never been enrolled in minor hockey in Canada can start with the NHL/NHLPA First Shift program (register at firstshift.ca). BC Hockey lists the divisions as U7 (ages 5–6), U9 (7–8), U11 (9–10), U13 (11–12), U15 (13–14), U18 (15–17) and U21 (18–20). Source |
ManitobaHockey Manitoba
Birth year (age on December 31)
| Group | Birth years | Format and length | Ball / gear | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U9 half-ice (2022-23 guidelines) | 2018–2019 (2026-27) | 4v4 skaters plus 1 goalie on half ice for the whole season; optional full-ice transition season March 1–April 30 · 2 x 24-minute periods; no face-offs or stoppages during shifts | — | Manitoba keeps U9 on half ice all season (Hockey Canada allows full ice from Jan 15), with an optional full-ice transition from March 1. Scores are kept but goals and assists are not recorded. Check the current season's guidelines; this document is for 2022-23. Source |
QuébecHockey Québec
Birth year (age on December 31)
| Group | Birth years | Format and length | Ball / gear | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M7 / M9 / M11 / M13 / M15 (Québec naming) | M7: 2020-2022; M9: 2018-2019; M11: 2016-2017; M13: 2014-2015; M15: 2012-2013 | — | — | In Québec the age divisions are written with M (moins de, 'under') instead of U: M7 = U7, M9 = U9, and so on. A 2026-27 local registration sheet (Ville de Saint-Raymond) lists M7 as three birth years (2020-2022) and, following the Hockey Québec 2026-27 pilot, M17 (2010-2011), M19 (2008-2009) and M22 (2005-2007) instead of M18 and junior. Check the age table with your local association. Source |
| U17 / U19 / U22 (single- and double-letter hockey, pilot 2026-27) | U17: 2010–2011; U19: 2008–2009; U22: 2005–2007 | Full ice | — | New in Québec for 2026-27 (one-year pilot): in single- and double-letter (non-elite) hockey the U18 and Junior divisions are replaced by U17 (ages 15–16), U19 (ages 17–18) and U22 (ages 19–21), to separate high-school and college-aged players. The BB level is dropped from U13 to U19 (kept at U11); U13 and U15 offer AA, A, B and C, and U17/U19 offer AA, A and B. U9 and U11 teams are capped at 10–12 skaters. Source |
Applies to Canada Basketball and the BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick associations. Basketball Québec uses October 1 to September 30 birth windows, and some independent tournaments (especially US-run ones) group by school grade. Check the birth years the organizer lists before you register.
Grades follow the BC and Ontario school-entry rule (age 5 by December 31 for Kindergarten); some Alberta boards use a different cut-off. Other sports (hockey, soccer, swimming) use different rules.