July 14 will flood the club 7s universe with answers to the big question—who will qualify for nationals?

With major tournaments in just about every region and some regions coming to a conclusion this weekend, we could know almost the entire field of the men's bracket by Sunday morning.

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Here's where we are with the men's clubs:

Pacific North

Washington Athletic Club beat Boise last week in the first of two qualifier events in the Pacific Northwest. The Roy Lucas 7s in West Linn, OR, is this weekend and is event No. 2. 

The Olympic Club won the opening event in Northern California only to falter after that in later non-qualifiers (and the West Open Qualifier, which Belmont Shore won. So it’s a wide-open contest going into this weekend’s Carlsberg 7s in Sunnyvale, CA. Almost anyone could win it, although we’re betting on Life West.

All of this is somewhat moot, as the Pacific North finals will be in Tacoma on July 28. That’s the big one. 

Which teams put their hands up will be perhaps less about who wins in West Linn and Sunnyvale and more about who comes in third or fourth.

Conclusion: None as yet. We need more data.

Pacific South

Belmont Shore has already secured a spot at nationals by winning the Western Open Qualifier. What that means is that the Pacific South, which had two seeds before the Open Qualifier, now has three seeds. Belmont Shore gets one of them, even if the club finishes fourth or fifth in the Pacific South standings, Shore will get at least the No. 3 seed.

No need to worry about that, as Shore leads the series and this weekend hosts the Sunsplash 7s. It’s unlikely that Santa Monica will be turfed out of a spot. The chase, then, is on for that third seed. OMBAC, Oceanside, and Belmont Shore Gold. Shore’s Gold team is a separately-registered group of players, mostly veterans of the Belmont Shore 15s effort. Older and wiser, and maybe good enough to get to New York.

Conclusion: Belmont Shore regular will be No. 1 regardless, and Santa Monica should be No. 2 but might slip to No. 3. OMBAC has an excellent chance to get there, too.

Frontier

It’s all about the points in the Frontier, and Bulldog has set itself up quite nicely. This weekend is the Heartland 7s in Kansas City, and then the Denver 7s July 28 finishes off the series. If the collegiate-heavy team wins in Kansas City then it will have clinched a place at nationals.

If Denver wins and Bulldog takes second, then both have basically punched their respective tickets. But given that this is Kansas City’s tournament, the fourth-place Jazz could shake things up with a win or an appearance in the final. Peaks out of Utah is third and could also make it anyone’s series with a strong performance.

Conclusion: It’s a race for the No. 3 seed between KC and Peaks. It would be a huge surprise if Bulldog and Denver don’t make it. The only real dark horse would be Omaha, and the GOATS have to make the top two in KC to have any hope.

Red River

With Dallas having won the Eastern Open Qualifier, this weekend’s Tornado Alley 7s in Norman, OK is about that additional qualifier spot. Dallas leads the series, and if the Reds keep that place, they would be the No. 1 seed, with the second-place Red River team being No. 2. If Dallas falters, the Reds are going to NYC anyway. 

Conclusion: There’s another tournament July 28 in Houston, so right now nothing will be settled. But New Orleans and Austin Huns can make it a two-horse race with a good showing in Norman.

Midwest

Metropolis has won two qualifiers and this weekend (Forest City 7s in Rockford, IL), and July 28 (Win City 7s in Cincinnati) finish up the series. 

Because the Midwest points system gives virtually the same points for first and second (12 and 11, as opposed to Red River and Frontier, which give six points and four points), it’s a little easier to catch up if the leader has a rough day. Still, third-place Cincinnati has to be top two this weekend and has to knock down someone (preferably for Cincy the Chicago Lions) to be in the qualification hunt.

Conclusion: Metropolis and Lions will stay 1-2, even if the Lions win in Rockford. They have the inside track on the two Midwest seeds to Nationals.

Southern

All done and dusted. Atlanta is in and qualified and sipping lemonade on the porch while everyone else bites their fingernails.

Mid-Atlantic

It’s been a back-and-forth battle between Schuylkill River and Beltway. Neither team coated itself in glory in the Eastern Open Qualifier, and that was partly due to player availability and some injuries. Schuylkill has Kina Malafu in the fold now and his ability to break open plays could be key this weekend as Schuylkill hosts the final tournament of the series.

Conclusion: It’s Beltway or Schuylkill with the winner of the tournament (assuming it’s one or the other) going to NYC. If someone else wins this weekend and Beltway stays one spot behind Schuylkill, Beltway qualifies.

Northeast

Old Blue has clinched a spot at nationals by virtue of winning the first three tournaments. Mystic River will clinch a place simply by taking the field this weekend in Saratoga Springs. NYAC just has to avoid being awful.

Conclusion: Old Blue, Mystic, NYAC, in that order. Something very weird has to happen for that not to be the case.

What that means is, our field of 16 is like going to be as follows:

Atlanta

Dallas

Belmont Shore

Old Blue

Mystic River

NYAC

Beltway or Schuylkill River

Metropolis

Chicago Lions

Bulldog

Denver

Santa Monica

OMBAC

Someone else from Frontier

Someone else from Red River

Someone from Pacific North