Tournament "start up" costs?

I am hoping someone can educate me. I've been a team manager for a while and paid a lot of tourney fees in my life. With the recent rain, some tourneys have been cancelled. I recently received a "refund" of roughly half my tourney fees from a tourney that never played a game. I was told the other half was used to cover "start up" costs. Can someone (Coach Dom?) tell me what "start up" costs are involved in these tourneys? I get it, there might be some initial costs, but I am having a hard time understanding that half the registration fee be dedicated to "start up" costs.

Please help...thanks so much!

I have always assumed 25% fixed, 25% profit and 50% variable cost.

So tourney pays for fixed costs(checking teams in, ref and game scheduler, awards, etc)
Tourney keeps the profit they would have made anyway.

Refund the variable portion(fields and ref fees).

I am very curious as to the responses.

Every tournament is different, but here are some costs the tournament is usually stuck with on a rain out...

Event sanctioning fee
GotSoccer fee
Tournament Director fees
Referee assignor fees
Referee coins
Trophies/Medals
Field lining (depends on complex)
Golf Cart
Tents
Advertisement in Pitch or on GotSoccer

Coach Dom, I knew I could count on your input. Thanks so much. Is it safe to assume the two largest tournament expenses are field rental and referees?

It's like loaning money to your best friend dont expect any of it back is the best philosophy. Always ask the coach up front how much playing time before you spend that cash if you even want to make that investment. Realistically after 14 players or so dont expect very many minutes.

Most tournament websites "warn" you that 50% is the number.

donovansucks wrote:Coach Dom, I knew I could count on your input.  Thanks so much.  Is it safe to assume the two largest tournament expenses are field rental and referees?

1. Referees
2. Field Rental

coachdom23 wrote:

donovansucks wrote:Coach Dom, I knew I could count on your input.  Thanks so much.  Is it safe to assume the two largest tournament expenses are field rental and referees?

1. Referees
2. Field Rental

But are referee fees actually paid if games are cancelled?, also I believe that some of the field rental fees are only paid if you actually use them, I believe some cities don’t receive the fee if cancelled?

soccerfan09 wrote:

coachdom23 wrote:

donovansucks wrote:Coach Dom, I knew I could count on your input.  Thanks so much.  Is it safe to assume the two largest tournament expenses are field rental and referees?

1. Referees
2. Field Rental

But are referee fees actually paid if games are cancelled?, also I believe that some of the field rental fees are only paid if you actually use them,  I believe some cities don’t receive the fee if cancelled?

Sorry, that answer was in general about tournaments. If a tournament rains out, refs don’t get paid unless is rains out during. They usually get something for being there. Rain or shine, assignors and schedulers get paid.

As for field fees, each city and private complex is different. There can still be field set up fees even if it rains out. Plus tents, golf carts, radios, port-o-potties, etc.