Hardline / Softline

Terms used to describe how extreme or moderate a team's stance or model is. A hardline stance accepts significant burdens or extreme versions of a policy for strategic clarity, while a softline stance moderates the policy to make it more defensible and palatable to an ordinary intelligent person. UADC 2025 Handbook, Appendix C: a hardline stance is defended under every circumstance; a soft stance has a few exceptions.