Stay to Play

A policy common in youth and amateur sports events that requires teams to book their lodging through the event's official room block in order to be eligible to compete. Stay to play guarantees the organizer the room night volume promised to host hotels, which in turn funds the event and secures favorable rates and facility access. For the housing coordinator it concentrates demand into managed blocks and sub-blocks — typically one per team or club — that must be tracked, named, and reconciled before cutoff. The model draws scrutiny when families feel forced into specific hotels, so clear communication, fair rates, and accurate per-team pickup tracking matter. Enforcement usually ties a team's tournament registration to a confirmed booking in the sanctioned block.