(Djole Radovanovic and Benjamin Briffe of NYC are heading to the Elite Division for 2019 Nationals)
With all sanctioned events in 2019 complete, it’s time to look at who has qualified for the Elite Division.
| Team | Region | Qualifying Method |
| San Francisco CalHeat | W | 2019 Elite Division National Champions |
| NYAC | NE | Wild Card |
| NYC | NE | NTHL 1st Place |
Defending Champion NYC THC has qualified automatically; a 10th consecutive NTHL title was nothing but than the cherry on top of a magnificent run.
With Army West Point Black unavailable due to graduation, Boston Team Handball and DC Diplomats join NYC from the NE Region as auto qualifiers.
With a dominant 32-6 victory over Illinois State in the finals of the MTHL Championship, Chicago Inter qualifies for Elite for the 2nd consecutive season.
And that takes us to the Wild Card. The top four (4) teams in the wild card participate in Elite. Those teams are:
| Team | Minnesota Fall Classic (MW) | Michael Lipov XI (MW) | Carolina Blue Cup (SE) | Other Points | Standings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Inter | 6 | 6 | 12 | ||
| New York Athletic Club | 8 | 8 | |||
| San Francisco CalHeat | 5 | 5 | |||
| Army West Point Black | 4 | 4 | |||
| Inter Miami | 4 | 4 | |||
| San Francisco CalHeat II | 3 | 3 | |||
| Chicago Inter 2 | 3 | 3 | |||
| Milwaukee United | 2 | 2 | |||
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Fargo-Moorhead Wolves | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Miami Storms | 2 | 2 |
San Francisco CalHeat played in four sanctioned tournaments in 2018-19. They won four sanctioned tournaments in 2018-19. Last year’s 2nd place team is back.
NYAC returns, despite not receiving WC points for their Blue Cup victory. Can they bring the trophy back to Travers Island?
Los Angeles Team Handball Club, thanks to its win over NYC in the semifinals of Cal Cup XIII, finds its way into the Elite Division this year.
Houston Firehawks THC rounds out the field of eight.
