Jatkoaika

Jatkoaika is a Finnish term used to describe overtime or extra time in competitive sports. The word combines jatko, meaning continuation or extension, with aika, meaning time. It designates the additional period that is played when the score is tied at the end of regulation.

In ice hockey, jatkoaika refers to the extra period played after regulation time if the teams are tied. The length and format of overtime vary by league and competition. In many leagues, an overtime period is played with a modified player lineup and a fixed duration, and if the game remains tied, a shootout may decide the winner in the regular season. In playoffs, overtime periods typically continue until a goal is scored, resulting in a sudden-death result for that period.

The concept of jatkoaika is not limited to ice hockey. In other Finnish sports and in knockout-format competitions, extra time can be used to determine a winner when regulation time ends in a tie. The exact rules—such as duration, the number of periods, and whether penalties or shootouts follow—depend on the sport and governing body.

Overall, jatkoaika serves as the mechanism to extend play beyond regulation to resolve ties, with formats that differ across sports, leagues, and competition rounds.