To be the best you have to beat the best. But due to the regulations of the Ultimate Players Association (UPA) governing board and regional circumstances, the Ultimate Frisbee National tournament to be held in Spokane, Wash. may not be host to the nation’s most competitive teams—Harvard included.

Each year the national tournament offers bids to 16 teams who compete for the national title. The New England region alone is home to three of the nation’s top 16 teams—Harvard, Brown and Tufts—but due to guidelines set by the UPA only one of these teams will be given the opportunity to step into the tournament fray in May.

“It’s a shame from the perspective of the national scene because our team, Brown and Tufts all deserve to be at Nationals,” said Harvard’s co-captain Will O’Brien.

Ultimate Frisbee competition is divided into eight geographical regions, each of which can potentially be awarded three national bids. The top finisher in each of the eight regional tournaments receives an automatic bid and a top-eight seeding at Nationals. Four out of the eight regions are granted a “strength” bid, determined by averaging the teams’ performances from the previous year. The final opportunity to qualify for nationals comes from a size bid, granted to the four largest regions. The size of each region is determined by the submission, before a set deadline, of each team’s roster.

So the rules that gave New England three bids to last year’s tournament, including one to Harvard, are the same rules that will limit the availability of bids for New England this year.

With Brown in the quarterfinals, Harvard ninth and Tufts finishing last in last year’s tournament—held in Boston—the New England region was not eligible for a strength bid this year. And since only 18 of the region’s 35 teams completing their paperwork by the UPA-specified deadline, the New England region was not eligible for a size bid this year.

Only one opportunity to qualify within the New England region remains—the team that wins at the regional tournament will be New England’s sole representative at Nationals.

While the UPA regulations have reduced the Harvard Ultimate team’s chances, they have not had the same effect on its hopes and confidence.

“Having just one bid has it’s silver lining,” O’Brien said. “We get to beat everybody and be the only team to go to Nationals.”

With last year’s third place finish at regionals, Harvard’s team, The Red Line, will need to improve some if it wants to fight its way to the top.

But if its past efforts are at all indicative of the future, The Red Line has as much of a shot at the regional title as anyone.

Resilience was the team’s most valuable trait at the regional competition last year. After losing in pool play on the first day, the team was forced to take a road less traveled through the consolation round. Under the pressure of having to beat every opponent, the team came together to muster up the wins necessary for a third place finish and trip to Nationals.

“It was a defining moment,” co-captain Adam Ross said. “It was the second time that Harvard’s ever qualified for Nationals.”

This year’s single elimination regional format will no longer allow Harvard to make an unlikely comeback.

“It brings a singularity of purpose to know that there is no back door, no second chance, just one goal,” senior Andrew Fleming said. “Whichever team steps up at regionals will get what they deserve and I plan on being a part of that team.”