I just texted Jordan about this.
It may seem petty, but spots not paid prior to the event leads to a certain percentage of no-shows. While not necessarily an issue, it does cause problems. I can hint on some of those via PM. What it does do is also reduce projected proceeds, not that money generation is of massive concern, it is nice to maybe have an allowance for future builds/targets, etc.
I know it's additional work, but I would suggest payment prior to match. Non-refundable. The dollar amount isn't massive and secures income and hopefully spots for comp day.
Fack it. Problems would be those who did not register and missed out due to capped competitors. What happens when they find out that 10 people didn't show yet they couldn't attend the competition? It causes conflicts. Especially if the potential no-show's are not current members.
Just looking out for everybody here. Give the potential for something to happen and it will.
While this doesn't likely appeal to everybody, I'm sure people could understand why it's being done. The payment reserves your spot. With limited numbers people should be willing to accept this. There will be many more wishing they could compete.
If required, I could take care of this via EMT. I need monies to install a new barrel on my gun...