Tola is identified by his ancestors; Jair is identified by his sons. The description of Tola recalls the days of the earlier good judges, the description of Jair bears some ominous tones to it, as it gives a hint of what is to come. This is why we can view Judges 10:1–5 as a hinge in the book.
1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.