PIAA soccer will see major changes in 2026, including the elimination of regular-season overtime and a new championship venue in Pittsburgh’s Highmark Stadium.
PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The PIAA is rolling out significant changes to high school soccer ahead of the 2026 season, eliminating regular-season overtime and relocating championship matches to Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh in an effort to prioritize player safety and enhance the overall athlete experience.
PIAA Executive Director Mark Byers said the decision to end overtime during the regular season was the result of years of discussion among soccer leadership across the state.
“For the last two years, our soccer steering committee has unanimously recommended doing away with overtime, pointing out late nights, multiple games in a week that could have gone to overtime, and just the wear and tear on athletes, so they felt it was appropriate to end regular season games in a tie,” Byers said.
While the change may be difficult for competitors accustomed to playing for a definitive result, Byers said the committee ultimately felt the benefits outweighed tradition.
“I think it’s the competitor in everyone that wants to see a winner and a loser determined on the field itself, but because of the different merits that were pointed out to move towards elimination of overtime, that’s ultimately what they came up with,” he said.
Local coaches said the move reflects the realities of an increasingly demanding high school sports calendar.
“You always want to have a winner when you have a game, especially in games that mean something. However, I always go on the side of player safety and if that means that players will be healthier and with the amount of games we have to play in a season, I really love that they’re taking that into consideration,” said Warwick boys soccer head coach Matthew Wagner.
The rule change is also expected to alter late-game strategy, particularly in close matches that previously would have extended into overtime.
“It will change how things are played out, especially end of games. The reality is in the regular season, it could make it a little bit more interesting at the top of the table and there’ll maybe a little bit more gamesmanship and more strategy that goes into that. I think it’s going to be fun,” Wagner said.
In addition to rule changes, the PIAA also announced its soccer championships will move from central Pennsylvania to Highmark Stadium, home of Pittsburgh’s professional men’s and women’s soccer teams.
Byers acknowledged concerns about travel but emphasized the opportunity the venue provides.
“In Pennsylvania, we’re a rectangle, so anytime you work towards either ends of the spectrum and our largest population base is our east and west, it’s not central Pennsylvania [people are going to have an opinion], but I believe once people get to the facility and realize how we’re able to highlight and provide that culminating experience, any of those worries will go away. In weighing the merits of being able to go to a professional soccer franchise, with the World Cup year coming up, I think there’s an opportunity to really highlight soccer going into 2026,” Byers said.
Wagner added that the move adds excitement for players. “I love that they chose Highmark Stadium, mainly because it’s a cool venue. It’s like something you kind of talk about, like, oh, you get to play in this kind of stadium where, you know, these teams have played and honestly, it’s awesome,” he said.
Looking ahead, Byers said the PIAA will continue evaluating other areas of the sport, including officiating mechanics, which remains a frequent topic among coaches.
Wagner said a change to the refereeing system would be great, “I know the load on them is a lot because having two or three referees at every contest throughout the year is really tough. Finding good referees and having those referees available is important. So, changing to one referee like FIFA rules are, and two linesmen would be a really good step in the right direction.”
“We’ll continue to evaluate [our officiating mechanic] and if any changes are to come about, it’ll be through discussions not only with our staff, our board, our statewide soccer rules interpreter, who’s really our rules expert, and we’ll come forward with that if appropriate,” Byers said.
For Wagner, the broader goal remains clear. “Players always [come] first. I just love that [the PIAA is] willing to continue to change and I hope they continue to change in the future so that it helps the sport, helps us as coaches and helps all the schools,” he said.