jatkosarjoja

Jatkosarja is a Finnish term used to describe a post-season or continuation series in sports. The word combines jatko, meaning continuation, with sarja, meaning series. In everyday usage the term jatkosarja refers to the stage that follows the regular season, and the plural form jatkosarjoja (with the nominative plural jatkosarjat) is used in different grammatical cases.

The purpose of a jatkosarja is to determine final standings, champion titles, or promotion and relegation outcomes after the regular-season results are known. The exact structure of a jatkosarja varies between leagues, sports, and seasons. Some formats use a round-robin or group phase among qualifying teams, while others employ knockout playoff rounds that culminate in a final series. In some systems, the results of the jatkosarja feed into seedings, final rankings, or qualification for subsequent competitions.

Formats and terminology can differ by sport. In Finnish sports journalism and league rules, jatkosarja is commonly referenced when describing a post-season stage that continues competition beyond the regular schedule. While some leagues distinguish between jatkosarja and playoffs in their naming conventions, the underlying idea is the same: a second phase focused on determining the ultimate winners or advancement opportunities.

Overall, jatkosarjoja denote structured post-season series used to complete the competitive season, with formats tailored to each league's traditions and rules.