TL;DR
- Stay-to-play means teams that need hotel rooms must book them in the tournament's approved hotel block, through the event's housing company, to get or keep their place.
- Every event sets its own rules. Published minimums we found range from 15 to 24 room nights per team, as of 30 Sep 2026.
- Missing the minimum can cost an opt-out fee, a fine or your entry, and some events give you only 24 hours to fix a shortfall.
- Decide early whether families book their own rooms in the block or you book as a team and collect each family's share.
- Read your event's policy and the hotel contract before you sign anything or take money from families.
Stay-to-play is a tournament rule that requires traveling teams to book their hotel rooms inside the event's approved hotel block, usually through a named housing company, as a condition of entry. Each event sets its own room-night minimum, its own definition of a local team, and its own penalty for falling short, so the first job is to read the policy for your event. If you book rooms as a team, SquadTrip handles the money side: one booking page with room options, deposits and automatic installments, and a rooming list you can export.
This guide shows how five published policies actually work, how to book the block, how to collect from families, and how to build the rooming list.
Collect each family's share of the hotel block on one page. SquadTrip takes deposits, runs installments and exports your rooming list. Free to start.
How Stay-to-Play Works, From Real Tournament Policies
The details below come from each organizer's own published policy, as of 30 Sep 2026. Policies change by season and by event, so check the page for your tournament.
1. Perfect Game (baseball)
Perfect Game's FAQ says that for its nationally run tournaments ("red flag" tournaments), it is mandatory to stay in a hotel provided by the PG housing partner. For PG affiliate-run events, the tournament directors decide on housing. To be compliant at events under the Perfect Game Lodging Policy, a team must book an average of 8 rooms per night for the duration of the event. Individual event pages state their own minimum; one 2025 15U event page, for example, lists 16 minimum room nights.
2. USSSA Eastern "C" National (softball)
East Coast Events' opt-out page says all non-local teams must stay a minimum of 18 room nights within the room block of a partnering hotel, booked through the event's housing service. Teams that stay outside the block or fall short of 18 room nights may instead pay a $400 opt-out fee. Local teams within 50 miles are exempt from the fee. The page lists 15 June 2026 as the deadline for registration and the opt-out fee.
3. US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup
The 2024-2025 Presidents Cup competition protocols say all National Presidents Cup competitions are governed by a "Stay to Play" policy, teams must use the competition's designated housing provider, and the minimum for all teams is 24 room-nights. A $1,500 fine may be assessed for noncompliance. Fines are invoiced to the State Association, which is responsible for enforcing the rule and for collecting any fine from its teams.
4. The Big South (volleyball)
The Big South's Stay & Play terms say a team must register and pay the entry fee before it can reserve rooms, then maintain a confirmed reservation through its housing agent, THS, at an approved hotel. A team with a general hotel reservation needs 15 room nights (for example, 5 rooms for 3 nights). Reservations for several teams can't be combined into one contract, and individual and group reservations can both count toward the minimum.
5. Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic
The Classic's Stay and Play FAQ requires a minimum of 18 room nights on one contract with THS at an approved hotel (for example, 6 rooms for 3 nights). Teams that think they are local can ask to be placed on the Local Team List, but local status is decided solely at the event staff's discretion. The FAQ says the policy is how the event gets hotels to offer room blocks at discounted group prices, including hotels within walking distance of the convention center.
Stay-to-Play Policies Compared
| Event | Sport | Minimum per team | Booked through | Local exemption | If you fall short |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perfect Game Lodging Policy events | Baseball | Average of 8 rooms per night; event pages list a total (e.g. 16 room nights) | PG housing partner | Not stated in FAQ; affiliate events set their own rules | Not stated in FAQ |
| USSSA Eastern "C" National | Softball | 18 room nights | Event's housing service | Within 50 miles, exempt from opt-out fee | $400 opt-out fee |
| US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup | Soccer | 24 room-nights | Designated housing provider | Not stated in protocol | Fine of $1,500 may be assessed |
| The Big South | Volleyball | 15 room nights (general reservation) | THS | Not stated on terms page | 24 hours to fix, then entry may be cancelled or a penalty required |
| Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic | Volleyball | 18 room nights on one contract | THS | Event staff decide | 24 hours to fix, then entry may be cancelled and a penalty required |
All figures are from each event's published page, as of 30 Sep 2026.
How to Book the Block Without Getting Caught Short
1. Read the policy before you register
Note four things: the room-night minimum, whether individual family bookings count toward it, the local radius, and the penalty. At The Big South and the Capitol Hill Classic you must register and pay the entry fee before you can reserve rooms, so plan the entry fee into your first collection.
2. Count room nights, not rooms
Room nights are rooms multiplied by nights. Four families staying three nights each is 12 room nights. If you're short of the minimum, you'll need more families in the block or a plan for the fee.
3. Ask about local status in writing
If your team lives close, ask the tournament to confirm local status before you skip the block. At the Capitol Hill Classic, you may have to comply even if you feel you're within driving distance.
4. Protect the minimum after you book
Both volleyball events say a team must stay at or above the minimum from the time it accepts a hotel contract until the event ends, and that a shortfall gives you 24 hours to correct it. If a family drops out late, you need a plan the same day: another family takes the room, or the team keeps it.
5. Read the hotel contract
Deposit dates, cancellation deadlines and charges for unused rooms come from the contract, and they vary. If the club signs a large contract, have your board or an attorney review it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Collect Hotel Money From Families
You have two ways to handle the money. Choose one before you tell families anything.
Let families book their own rooms if…
The event lets individual reservations count toward the team minimum (The Big South says individual and group reservations both count), families want their own room, and you're comfortable checking that enough families have booked. Your job is tracking the room-night count, not the money.
Book as a team and collect shares if…
The policy requires one team contract (the Capitol Hill Classic requires the minimum on one contract), players share rooms, or you want one rooming list you control. Then:
- Price room options as packages. For example, "Player, quad room" and "Family room" at their own prices, plus the tournament fee if you collect it at the same time. Our travel team budget and cost-per-player guide covers how to build the per-player number.
- Take a deposit that covers the hotel's deposit. For example, if the hotel wants $1,600 to hold 8 rooms and 16 players are going, a $100 deposit per player covers it.
- Finish installments early. End the schedule two to three weeks before the hotel's final payment date, so a declined card doesn't leave you short. The steps are in how to automate payment plans for group trips.
- Let one parent pay for the family. On SquadTrip one booking can cover a player and a traveling parent or two siblings, and for open spots the payer gets a share link so that person can book their own.
Stop fronting the hotel deposit on your own card. Put the tournament on SquadTrip, free, and let deposits and installments arrive before the hotel's dates.
Build the Rooming List as Families Book
Housing companies and hotels want names by room, and the list changes every time a family swaps. Collect the details at booking so the list builds itself.
1. Ask the rooming questions at checkout
Put these on the booking page as registration questions:
- Player name as it should appear on the hotel list
- Parent or guardian traveling: [YES/NO, NAME]
- Roommate request: [UP TO 3 TEAMMATES]
- Arrival and departure nights: [DATES]
- Emergency contact and phone: [NAME, NUMBER]
- Medical notes or allergies: [DETAILS]
2. Assign rooms, then export
Group players by room request, keep each family's adults with their players, and check the total against your room-night minimum. Export the rooming list and the emergency-contact list as CSV or PDF for the housing company and your chaperones.
3. Collect waivers at the same time
Add a signed waiver to the booking so a parent or guardian signs for the minor they're booking. Our group event waiver template has clauses you can adapt.
Mistakes That Cost Teams Their Place
- Assuming you're local. Get it confirmed. Each event defines local differently, and some don't publish a radius.
- Booking several teams on one contract. The Big South says reservations for multiple teams can't be combined.
- Letting the count drift below the minimum. A late dropout can put you under, and two events give you 24 hours to fix it.
- Mixing hotel money with season dues. Keep each trip on its own page; see how to collect team dues online for the season side.
- No refund rule for the room. Both volleyball events say hotel deposits and entry fees are non-refundable once a contract and entry are cancelled. Tell families in writing what they get back if they withdraw.
If you're also comparing tools for season billing versus trips, our guide to the sports team payment app sets out the options.
Final Thoughts
Stay-to-play isn't one rule. It's each tournament's rule, with its own minimum, local radius and penalty. Read the policy, count room nights early, decide whether families book or the team books, and collect the hotel money before the hotel wants it. Then the rooming list is an export, not a weekend project.
