Money guide · Updated May 2026
How much does it actually cost to run a football tournament in the UK?
A line-by-line 2026 cost breakdown for grassroots, invitational and academy cups — based on real tournament budgets across England, Scotland and Wales.
The 30-second answer
- Grassroots (8–16 teams, 1 day)£1,400 – £2,400Charge £100–£150 per team to break even.
- Invitational (16–32 teams, 2 days)£6,000 – £14,000Charge £200–£400 per team.
- Academy (16–32 teams, 3–5 days)£25,000 – £90,000+Charge £600–£2,000 per team.
Cost per team by tournament size
Fixed costs (first aid, trophies, admin) don't grow with team count, so the cost of running a cup falls sharply per team as you add entries. These are one-day grassroots figures on a 3G surface, based on the line items below.
| Teams | Matches (group + KO) | Total day cost | Cost per team | Entry fee to clear £500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 14 | £1,050 | £131 | £195 |
| 12 | 22 | £1,480 | £123 | £165 |
| 16 | 28 | £1,930 | £121 | £152 |
| 24 | 44 | £2,760 | £115 | £136 |
| 32 | 58 | £3,540 | £111 | £127 |
Assumes group stage of four-team groups plus knockouts, £20 per match refereeing, and pitch hire scaling in half-day blocks. Match counts come from the fixture maker, so you can check the exact schedule for your own team count before you set a fee.
Which of our money guides do you need?
- This page — what each item costs and what a cup totals, so you can set an entry fee.
- Football tournament budget 2026 — profit planning, sponsorship targets and margins once you know the costs.
- Budget template — the spreadsheet to put your own numbers into.
- Rules template — the free rules document to send clubs with their entry confirmation.
Line-by-line 2026 UK prices
Every figure here comes from real invoices we've seen on CupHelp's Finance module over the past 18 months. Numbers are GBP except CupHelp Pro which is billed in EUR.
| Item | Grassroots | Invitational | Academy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3G pitch hire (per hour) | £60–£90 | £70–£110 | £90–£140 |
| FA Level 7 referee (per match) | £15–£25 | £25–£35 | £35–£50 |
| Medals (per team of 12) | £18 | £36 | £60 |
| Trophy (winner) | £25–£60 | £75–£150 | £150–£400 |
| First-aid cover (day) | £120 | £240 (2 medics) | £480 (paramedic) |
| Catering per player | £3–£5 (snack) | £8–£12 (hot lunch) | £25–£45 (full board/day) |
| Accommodation per player/night | — | £15 (school floor) | £65–£120 (hotel) |
| Tournament software (16 teams) | £0 (CupHelp Starter, ≤8 teams) or £42 (Club) | £42–£96 (Club) | €99 flat (Pro) |
Worked example: 16-team U11 one-day cup
Costs
Income
How we sourced these numbers
200+ tournament invoices processed through CupHelp's Finance module between Nov 2024 and Apr 2026, normalised to 2026 GBP.
FA Referee Pay Recommendations for the 2025/26 season, cross-checked with three County FA pay scales (Surrey, Lancashire, Glasgow).
3 club treasurers reviewed this article pre-publication: Walthamstow Avenue Juniors, Solihull Moors Academy, and an un-named Premier League Cat-2 academy.
We update this page every six months. Last verified 26 May 2026.
Organiser FAQs
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Related: Pricing · How payments work · Grassroots vs Invitational vs Academy