Tasoituksena

Tasoituksena is a Finnish expression meaning “as a handicap” or “in the role of a handicap.” It is used to indicate that something functions to level differences in ability or performance within a competition. Grammatically, tasoituksena employs the translative case, signifying a role or state: something is used or applied as a handicap.

In practice the phrase appears in sports and games where participants differ in skill or experience. It describes mechanisms designed to make competition fairer by offsetting disadvantage or advantage. Common contexts include golf, bowling, billiards and other scoring-based activities, as well as informal or online competitions. The idea behind tasoituksena is to adjust starting positions, scores or scoring opportunities so that participants can compete more on equal terms.

Methods classified as tasoituksena may include starting offsets (for example, giving weaker players a head start), handicap points subtracted from a strong player’s score, or adjusted target scores and performance benchmarks. The specific system varies by sport and competition, and may be based on historical performance, rating lists, or predefined rules.

Etymology and related terms: tasoitus means handicap or leveling, and -na/-nä marks the role “as.” Related concepts include tasoitusjärjestelmä (handicap system) and tasoittaminen (leveling).