How to budget a football tournament and set the entry fee
Updated 25 October 2026
Set the entry fee from your costs, not from what the tournament down the road charges. This guide walks through the costs that are easy to forget, a simple way to price the fee, and how to handle payments and refunds without awkward conversations.
List every cost first
- Venue and pitch hire, including any charge for marking extra pitches.
- Approval fee from your football association and any insurance top-up.
- Referees: match fees, travel and lunch.
- First aid cover.
- Trophies, medals and certificates — usually the biggest single cost.
- Goals, nets, cones, bibs and balls you need to hire or buy.
- Toilets, bins and waste if the venue does not provide them.
- Printing, signs and wristbands.
- Payment processing fees if you take entries online.
Price the fee per team
Add up the fixed costs (venue, approval, first aid, equipment) and the costs per team (medals, referee time for their matches). Divide the fixed costs by a realistic number of teams — not the maximum — and add the per-team costs. Then add a margin of 10 to 15% for things you did not think of.
Illustrative example: fixed costs of €900 spread over 24 teams is €37.50 each; medals and referee time add €15 a team; a 15% margin brings the fee to about €60. Then compare your number with the published fees of tournaments listed near you.
Say what the fee includes
Teams accept a fee more readily when they can see what it buys: guaranteed games, medals for every player, qualified referees, a trophy for the winners. Put it on the entry page.
Take payment when teams enter
A place is confirmed when it is paid for. Taking the fee at entry saves chasing money in the last week and tells you exactly how many teams are coming. If you take bank transfers, give each team a reference to use, and keep a single list of who has paid.
Write the refund policy before anyone asks
- Full refund if the organiser cancels.
- A clear cut-off for teams that withdraw, after which the fee is kept because medals and pitches are already paid for.
- What happens if the weather stops play part-way through.
Plan for a surplus
If the event makes money, say where it goes — the host club’s junior section, a local charity, next year’s event. Transparency stops rumours and brings teams back.
Common questions
How much should a youth football tournament cost to enter?
Enough to cover your real costs with a small margin. Work out fixed costs divided by a realistic team count, add per-team costs such as medals, and add 10–15%. Then compare with similar events near you.
Should every player get a medal?
For the youngest age groups most organisers give every player a medal, and festival rules often discourage winners’ prizes. For older groups, winners and runners-up medals are common.