What an Opt-Out Fee Costs: Every Stay-to-Play Buyout and Waiver Fee We Verified for 2026-27

As of Oct 25, 2026, 208 of the 415 live hotel-required tournaments in our data name a money charge tied to the hotel rule. Of those, 39 print one flat per-team amount, from $375 to $1,500, with a median of $975. Another 122 are Perfect Game events whose Hotel Waiver Fee formula uses $200 per tournament day after the first.

Last updated: November 4, 2026. We copied each rule from the host's own page and checked it between Oct 15 and Oct 25, 2026. Rules change, so read the live page before you pay anything.

Our penalties roundup covers every kind of consequence. This post covers only the money: how each fee is charged and who it applies to.

How many hotel-required tournaments state a fee?

208 of 415, or about half, as of Oct 25, 2026. We counted live records marked required whose rule names an opt-out fee, buyout, waiver fee, surcharge, per-room charge or an unpriced fee or financial penalty. Our count includes 20 per-room shortfall charges and 8 records that print no amount, so it is wider than "opt-out fees" alone.

The other 207 say the hotel is required and name no fee we could price or classify. Three of those 207 mention a money penalty only as a possible consequence, not as an opt-out price, so we did not count them.

How are the fees charged?

Five ways, and the dollar figures only compare within the same way. Here is the full count.

The Perfect Game totals are our calculation from the formula on its Lodging Policy page, not a printed price. Shortfall fees are not opt-out prices, so we kept them out of the median.

What is the range of flat per-team fees?

$375 to $1,500, median $975, across 39 tournaments. The most common figure is $800, on 11 Premier Girls Fastpitch qualifiers. Triple Crown Sports accounts for 17 of the 39, with figures from $375 to $1,500.

Athletx events (Baseball World Series, BaseballFest, SoftballFest, Travel Ball Select) account for 9, from $795 to $1,350. One USSSA record prints $500.

Twelve of the 39 also state a prorated per-room charge for booking fewer rooms than the minimum. It is $100 per room short on 11 records and $93.75 on one.

Worked example 1: a flat fee with a 75-mile scope

The Triple Crown Virginia State Championships run Jun 5 to 6, 2027. The rule, checked Oct 23, 2026: "If you are within 75 miles from Williamsburg, you are considered local and there is no requirement. If you are outside of 75 miles and choose to stay in alternative lodging, there will be a $375 surcharge."

The fee applies only to teams outside 75 miles. It is the lowest flat figure in our data. The page adds: "Teams that do not adhere to this policy will not be added to the schedule." Official source: Triple Crown Sports.

Worked example 2: a buyout plus a per-room charge

PGF National Qualifier Stockton, CA 12U (February 2027) runs Feb 20 to 21, 2027. The rule, checked Oct 15, 2026: "all teams traveling 75 miles or more to participate, must reserve their rooms through Traveling Teams and stay in a Premier Girls Fastpitch approved property, at the tournament rates, or your team will be subject to a $800 housing buyout fee."

The page adds a second charge: "Any team that falls under the 8 room minimum per night during their stay for the tournament will be subject to a pro-rated hotel buyout fee of $100 per room short of the 8 room minimum." Teams traveling under 75 miles are not covered as written. Official source: Premier Girls Fastpitch.

Worked example 3: an opt-out with a payment date

The 2027 USSSA Winter National Championships in Myrtle Beach run Feb 12 to 15, 2027. The rule, checked Oct 23, 2026: "Teams wishing to opt out of the Stay to Play can do so by paying an additional $500, which is due by January 8, 2027."

The page sets 12 room nights per team as the stay-to-play minimum. Local teams within 60 miles are exempt but should contact East Coast Events for verification. Official source: USSSA.

Worked example 4: a fee that also covers a missed minimum

The Travel Ball Select National Championships (TBS Nationals) in South Carolina run Jun 8 to 13, 2027 for 11U to 13U. The rule, checked Oct 21, 2026: "The applicable $795 Opt-Out Fee will apply to teams that choose not to participate in the Preferred Hotel Program."

The page also applies the $795 to teams that join the program but miss the reservation minimum.

Its local exemption is stated two ways, 75 miles in one paragraph and 90 miles in another. The page does not reconcile them, so ask the host which one counts. Official source: TBS Nationals.

Worked example 5: a fee set by event length

Can O Corn at Sports Force Parks Cedar Point runs Aug 14 to 15, 2027. The lodging page, checked Oct 17, 2026, lists "$500 for tournaments 3 days or less and $750 for tournaments 4 days or longer." Can O Corn runs two days, so the $500 tier is the one that fits by our reading.

Teams within 70 miles may commute daily instead of staying overnight. Teams may request approval for other lodging, and the page says those teams face the same fees. Official source: Sports Force Parks.

What about the Perfect Game waiver fee?

Perfect Game's rule covers 122 of our 415 records. We read its Lodging Policy page live on Oct 26, 2026: it applies to teams traveling more than 100 miles from the host venue, who book through EventConnect or pay the Hotel Waiver Fee. The page gives the formula as "(number of tournament days - 1) x $200."

Teams within 100 miles are exempt. The page prints the formula and no dollar total, so the totals in this post are our calculation. Read the Lodging Policy page for the 2027 PG Spring Heat Classic, and see our walkthrough in the Perfect Game waiver fee post.

Which fees did we leave out of the count?

Eight records name a fee or financial penalty and print no amount, so we did not price them. Rivalry Cup says "there is an opt-out fee." Surf College Cup says teams "will be assessed a buyout fee, which will be invoiced prior to the event."

Three records state a penalty that is not an opt-out price. One says "All games forfeited, or a $750 fine." Two say a "housing penalty fee up to $1000.00" alongside removal. We did not call those a price.

FAQ

How much is a typical stay-to-play opt-out fee?

Where a rule prints one flat per-team amount, the range is $375 to $1,500 and the median is $975, across 39 tournaments checked Oct 15 to 25, 2026. The most common single figure is $800, used by Premier Girls Fastpitch on 11 events. The PGF source is linked in example 2.

Do all opt-out fees cost the same for every team?

No, scope varies, so read it on the host's page. Some fees apply only past a stated distance, such as 75 miles in Virginia. Others depend on event length, and Perfect Game uses a formula by tournament days.

Where do these numbers come from?

Each figure is copied from the host's own page or policy document in our tournament records, with the check date.

Running totals are in our stay-to-play statistics report. Spot an error? Use our corrections page.