NFL Football instructions

FOOTBALL

Intellivision Cartridge Instructions

(For 2 Players)

You're on your own 48-yard line. 4th down, 3 yards to go! You call it! Run wide

or off tackle, pass or punt? With INTELLIVISION NFL FOOTBALL by MATTEL

ELECTRONICS, you have over 160 offensive plays, plus 10 defensive sets! On

offense you control the ball carrier, your opponent controls his free safety.

Computer controls the other linemen. Excitement, strategy, fingertip electronic

control! Your TV set becomes a gridiron!

OBJECT OF THE GAME is to outscore your opponent by running or passing the ball

into your opponent's End Zone, by kicking a field goal or forcing a Safety.

Touchdowns score seven points (extra point is automatic). Field goals score

three points. Two points for a Safety.

PRESS RESET BUTTON: Title will appear on TV screen: "FOOTBALL."

SELECT GAME SPEED

You can play INTELLIVISION Football at 4 different speeds. Press the Disc and

you will play at Pro Ball SPEED which is fastest of all. For slower speeds (a

good idea for practice) press key number 1, 2 or 3 in the top row. Remember:

faster playing speed means EVERYTHING is faster -- running, passing, tackling,

etc. At Pro Ball SPEED, your reactions will have to be VERY FAST.

DISC: "Pro Ball" (fastest)

KEYPAD 1: "Semi-Pro" (medium fast)

KEYPAD 2: "College" (medium)

KEYPAD 3: "High School" (slow)

THE PLAYERS

There are 5 players on a side. Opposing centers do not take active part in

offensive or defensive play.

The HOME TEAM has 4 ORANGE players (COMPUTER-controlled) and 1 RED player (YOU

control).

The VISITORS' TEAM has 4 LIGHT BLUE players (COMPUTER-controlled), and 1 BLACK

player (YOU control).

COMPUTER-CONTROLLED PLAYERS

A defensive player makes a tackle by engaging at least HALF of the body of the

ball-carrier.

PLAYERS YOU CONTROL

You and your opponent each control offensive and defensive "captains." The Home

Team's offensive and defensive captain is always the RED player. The Visitors'

captain is always the BLACK player. The OFFENSIVE captain is the QUARTERBACK. He

receives the hike from the center. He can RUN, PASS, or KICK. The only time you

lose control of his movements is after he releases the ball on a pass play, when

"control" switches to the INTENDED PASS-RECEIVER.

The DEFENSIVE captain can pursue the ball-carrier to make a tackle, or he can

try to intercept a pass. (The computer-controlled defensive linemen can BLOCK a

pass, but not intercept.)

You control the movements of the offensive and defensive captains with the MOVE

PLAYER Disc on the bottom of your Hand Controller. Skillful use of this Disc is

important to your enjoyment of the game (details in Controls section).

The computer will automatically adjust the running speed of defensive players in

the event that the ball-carrier breaks into the open field. As in Pro Ball, good

broken-field running is vital!

THE FIELD

The playing field on your TV screen is regulation length (100 yards plus two end

zones). However, just like a real televised game you see only a portion of the

field at any one time -- 20 yards in INTELLIVISION Football. When play goes

beyond the 20-yard span the field will "scroll" to simulate the effect of a TV

camera "panning" the field. In this way you'll never miss a second of the

action. Also, whenever possession of the ball changes, the field will pan so

that the team on offense always has two-thirds of the field in front of them.

This insures plenty of viewing room for both offense and defense.

Each of the end zones is marked by a "G" (for "Goal") in the bottom front

corner. No goalposts in this game. (Field goals are scored by kicking ball over

goal line center. See kick section.)

If a ball-carrier steps over either sideline, he is out-of-bounds. Simulated

"whistle" blows and the clock will stop.

Above the far sideline (at the top of your TV screen) is the game time, which is

divided into four 15-minute quarters (simulated time). The clock will stop at

all normal times, including time-outs, out-of-bounds, incomplete passes, after

scores, etc.

At the end of each quarter, the teams will automatically change sides of the

field.

Below the near sideline (at the bottom of your screen) is information about the

down, yards-to-go for a first down, and the yard-line the ball is on.

SCOREBOARD is displayed always during a huddle and at the end of the game.

The Scoreboard will tell you the time left in each quarter, the score, the

quarter, the down, yards-to-go for a first down, and the yard-line the ball is

on.

For Time-outs, press either P/K (LOWER SIDE) KEY. Each team gets THREE time-outs

only, each half. (Time-outs remaining NOT displayed.) Time-out may only be

called during a huddle or at the line of scrimmage.

THE CONTROLS

Use the Select Play keys #1 thru #9 to call your plays on offense and defense.

First choose the play you want as described below, then press the key for that

play.

Keys #7, #8, and #9 have a double function as they are also used to select the

TYPE (RUN, KICK or PASS) of play you want.

For instance, suppose your team has the ball. You consult plays below and decide

to try RUN play #4. You would press the RUN key (same as #7 key), followed by

the #4 key. Or if you wanted to try PASS play #6, you would press the PASS key

(same as #9 key), followed by the #6 key.

The KICK key (same as #8 key), is used to field goals and punts. First select

the type of play -- press KICK -- followed by ENTER.

ENTER KEY indicates that both teams have called their plays, offense and

defense. Both teams will then move to the line. The defense MAY adjust its

alignment at this point.

CLEAR -- If you change your mind about the play you've selected, press the CLEAR

key, then choose another play. You must press CLEAR BEFORE pressing ENTER.

HIKE -- When on offense, press either of the TOP SIDE HIKE BUTTONS to snap the

ball from the center to the quarterback. This starts the action!

P/K (Pass/Kick) -- Press either of the BOTTOM SIDE P/K BUTTONS to:

1. Make your quarterback RELEASE THE BALL on a PASS play.

2. Make your quarterback punt or kick a field goal.

MOVE PLAYER DISC -- Press this Disc at the bottom of your Hand Controller to

maneuver your team "captains" (red for Home Team, black for Visitors).

With your skillful use of the Move Player Disc, the ball-carrier can scramble,

make spectacular cuts and broken-field runs. THE DEFENSIVE captain can "red-dog"

(come up fast to penetrate into the opponent's backfield), drop back for pass

coverage, swoop in for an interception, etc. After a little practice you should

learn how to use the Move Player Disc effectively.

LET'S START THE GAME!

(Steps 1 & 2 review from above.)

1. Press RESET.

2. Title "FOOTBALL" will appear on your screen. Now select game speed by

pressing the Disc for normal Pro speed, or key #1, #2, or #3 for slower paced

action. SELECTING THE SPEED WILL ALSO BRING THE TEAMS OUT ONTO THE FIELD (crowd

cheers).

At the start of the game the Home Team (Orange) always defends the goal to the

left.

Opposing teams change ends after each quarter, automatically. As in Pro Ball,

defensive team at the start of the game gets the ball at the second half.

3. Visitors are on offense as game starts. Teams huddle on Visitor's 20 yard

line. Visitors select offensive play. Home Team selects the defensive formation.

When both sides have pressed ENTER key to complete play selections, teams line

up on Visitor's 20 yard line. Offense presses HIKE and the action begins!

The game's underway! Call all plays on Offense and Defense. Remember, it takes 3

STEPS to program a RUN play, 5 STEPS for a PASS play, 2 STEPS for a DEFENSIVE

FORMATION.

THE ART OF PASSING!

Master the art of passing and you will have a big edge! The passing game is the

key to victory. Like the great passers in Pro Ball, you will need to practice.

Practice passing alone. Practice at slower game speeds. And of course, you'll

want to bone up on the PLAY BOOK!

HOW TO PASS:

1. Press PASS key (#9 )

2. Pick ALIGNMENT (Press Key 1 - 9)

3. Pick RECEIVER (Press key 1 OR 2)

4. Select ZONE where pass will GO (Press key 1 - 9)

5. PRESS ENTER

This is the way to ENTER ANY pass play. Now we're ready for action! The next

things you must do require coordination. Again, the kind of Pro Ball smoothness

that comes with practice.

A. The HIKE and FADE back sequence must almost BLEND together. Coordinate the

HIKE button with the Move Player Disc.

B. The PASS and movement of the RECEIVER must be TIMED to meet each other

downfield. Coordinate (time) the PASS (lower side P/K) button with the Move

Player Disc.

INTELLIVISION is very like the real thing! Notice the way a Pro quarterback

FADES back almost with the HIKE. How he KNOWS where he wants the pass to go. How

he TIMES his pass to reach his receiver and get the completion.

FIELD GOALS & PUNTS

Field goals and punts use the same formation.

Defensive player automatically receives a punt, Computer-controlled men

automatically line up for the runback.

TO PUNT, press KICK Key, #8, then ENTER. After you have pressed HIKE key and

your quarterback (who is in deep punt formation) receives the ball, press P/K

(LOWER SIDE) button on either side to make QB kick. (Quarterback CAN choose to

run from punt formation!)

FIELD GOALS are attempted by pressing #8 KICK key followed by ENTER. After

pressing HIKE, use the side P/K buttons to kick away. There are no goalposts in

this game. To score three points, field goal attempt must be long enough!

TWO POINT SAFETY:

Essentially, a defensive play. Either the defense tackles the ball carrier in

his End Zone, or the ball carrier does NOT make it to the field of play. Ball

carrier runs out of bounds from his End Zone trying to elude tacklers. Score TWO

POINTS for the Defense! After a Safety, ball goes over to the Defense at the

opposite end of the field on the 20 yard line.

A TOUCHBACK takes place if defensive team receives a punt or intercepts a pass

in its own End Zone and the offense tackles the ball carrier there. No points

are earned. Play begins on the 20 yard line.

OFFENSE

There are 3 different types of offensive plays, RUN, KICK, and PASS. You first

select the type of play by pressing the RUN (#7), KICK (#8) , or PASS (#9) key

on your Hand Controller.

There are 9 plays (formations) that can be used for either RUN or PASS plays.

These are numbered 1 through 9 (see below) and correspond to the number keys 1

through 9 on your Hand Controller.

Select Punt Formation or a field goal attempt by pressing key #8 KICK key.

(Remember, you must press ENTER, then HIKE [UPPER SIDE KEY] and the P/K [LOWER

SIDE] button.)

On PUNTS, both teams line up in punt formation, offense & defense. If offense

elects to RUN (by pressing Direction disc instead) kick play is no longer

possible. In that case, the receiver would return from downfield to defend

against a run.

On each PASS play there are 2 eligible pass receivers. Only ONE of the two can

be used on each play. You select player #1 or player #2 by pressing key #1 or #2

on your Hand Controller. That receiver will then run out on his pass pattern.

Offensive plays (eligible pass receivers are [#1] and [#2]):

Offensive Play #1: I-Formation

RUN or PASS

| X

| X [QB] [#1]

| [#2]

Offensive Play #2: Split-End Left

PASS or RUN

| [#2]

| X [QB]

| X

| [#1]

Offensive Play #3: Split-End Right

PASS or RUN

| [#1]

| X

| X [QB]

| [#2]

Offensive Play #4: Slot-Back Left

RUN or PASS

| [#2]

| X [QB]

| X

| [#1]

Offensive Play #5: Slot-Back Right

RUN or PASS

| [#1]

| X

| X [QB]

| [#2]

Offensive Play #6: Split-T Left

RUN or PASS

| [#2]

| X [QB]

| [#1]

| X

Offensive Play #7: Split-T Right

RUN or PASS

| X

| [#1]

| X [QB]

| [#2]

Offensive Play #8: Double Tight End Strong Right

RUN or PASS

| [#2]

| X

| X [QB]

| [#1]

Offensive Play #9: Double Tight End Strong Left

RUN or PASS

| [#1]

| X [QB]

| X

| [#2]

PASSING ZONES

There are 9 passing zones. (Used on PASS plays only.) After choosing your

eligible pass receiver (by pressing key #1 or #2) you next choose the zone you

want him to run to. Choosing the zone also programs the ball to be thrown to

that area when you press the P/K (LOWER SIDE) button.

Let's look at the zone chart:

[6] | [2]

[4] |

[8] |

[1] | X [QB]

[9] |

[5] |

[7] | [3]

(Note that the even-numbered zones are at the top of your TV screen and the odd-

numbered at the bottom. This applies going either direction.) As soon as your

quarterback releases the ball, "control" switches to the pass receiver (his

color changes to control color).

Let's review the procedures for SELECTING AN OFFENSIVE PLAY:

1. For TYPE of play, press RUN (#7), KICK (#8), or KICK (#9) key.

2. To select FORMATION, press number key corresponding to number of play, i.e.

press #3 for "Split-end right" formation.

3. For ELIGIBLE RECEIVER (if PASS play), press key #1 or key #2.

4. For PASSING ZONE (if PASS play), press ONE of keys #1 through #9.

5. Press ENTER. You should hear a short "beep." (If running play, eliminate

Steps #3 & #4. If kick, eliminate Steps #2, 3, 4.)

Note: If you hear a "buzz" when you press a key, it means you tried to do a step

out of sequence. Press CLEAR and try again.

On all RUN plays, the quarterback is the ball-carrier. Be ready to maneuver him

with the Move Player Disc as soon as you have pressed HIKE (TOP SIDE BUTTON).

On all PASS plays, you have the option of RUNNING by not pressing the P/K side

button and instead using the Move Player Disc to make your quarterback scramble

for a gain.

USE COMBINATIONS OF ELIGIBLE RECEIVERS, PASSING ZONES AND RUNNERS TO

TREMENDOUSLY EXPAND THE OFFENSIVE POSSIBILITIES.

DEFENSE

In each formation, one of the players is the "control" player, the man you

control with the MOVE PLAYER Disc. (Opposing centers do not take active part.)

DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS (Man you control is marked [YOU]):

#1: 3-1-1

RUN or PASS

| X

| X X [YOU]

| X

#2: 3-2

RUN

| X

| [YOU]

| X

#3: 3-2

RUN

| X

| [YOU]

| X

#4: 3-1-1

RUN or PASS

| X

| X [YOU]

| X

#5: 3-1-1

RUN or PASS

| X

| X [YOU]

| X

#6: 3-2

PASS

| X

| [YOU]

| X

#7: 3-2

PASS

| X

| [YOU]

| X

#8: 4-1

RUN

| X

| X [YOU]

#9: 4-1

RUN

| X [YOU]

| X

The passing zones, of course, are not used on defense.

Let's review the procedure for SELECTING A DEFENSIVE PLAY:

1. Choose FORMATION, press key corresponding to number of play.

2. Press ENTER.

Offense and Defense select alignments simultaneously. Both teams then move to

the line of scrimmage. Anytime before the ball is hiked, defense MAY shift the

alignment. Ball can be hiked ONLY after new defensive alignment is set.

Remember, you can move your "control" defender in any direction! Use him

effectively!

HOW TO WIN!

Football isn't just a game of knocking heads! STRATEGY, FINESSE, and GOOD TIMING

are essential to winning. You'll find that PASSING is BOTH the hardest thing to

learn about INTELLIVISION football and the indispensable key to victory!

TO BE A WINNER: PRACTICE THE PASSING GAME!

Remember the 5 steps to ENTER any pass play:

1. Press PASS key.

2. Pick ALIGNMENT.

3. Pick RECEIVER.

4. Select ZONE.

5. Press ENTER.

Practice until you can coordinate the HIKE & FADE BACK steps. When this and your

timing on passes become second nature, you're WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME!

REMEMBER THESE TIPS:

STRATEGY:

Offense -- Don't be in too much of a hurry to score! Go for the first down to

maintain possession! Learn your plays and use them wisely!

Defense -- Be alert to move your "control" man as necessary! Don't be afraid to

go for the interception! Use your formations effectively!

FINESSE:

Offense & Defense -- Practice dexterity with the controls! Keep your eye on the

screen but be ready to use the right buttons! The Move Player Disc is crucial --

learn to use it well!

GOOD TIMING:

Offense -- Running, passing or kicking -- timing makes the difference between

gain or loss.

Defense -- Coordinate the movements of your "control" man (defensive captain)

with the rest of your defenders. When you "red dog" or "blitz," you're taking a

chance!

SIMULATED GAME SOUNDS

Crowd cheers! -- after a score, at the end of each quarter.

"Hike" -- when either HIKE button is pressed. Ball is snapped back to QB.

Whistle -- whenever a tackle is made.

Gun -- at the end of each quarter.

"Charge!" -- at the start of each half.

Sound of Ball Through the Air -- on passes and kicks.

Short "Beep" -- each player has correctly entered play.

Buzzer -- player has pressed a key incorrectly. (Press CLEAR and do it again.)

Ready to play? Get set for INTELLIVISION FOOTBALL!!

FOOTBALL GLOSSARY

Back -- any player in the offensive backfield -- quarterback, halfback, or

fullback -- that can carry the ball.

Block -- an offensive player tries to "block" a defensive player out of the

play.

Down -- a "chance." Four chances (downs) to make 10 yards. To succeed is a

"first down" (continued possession of the ball).

End Zone -- a goal at either end of the field. The ball must be run or passed

into the end zone to score.

Field Goal -- three-point play when ball is kicked through the center of the

goal line. (No goalposts in this game.)

Linemen -- The players right at the line-of-scrimmage. They block (on offense)

and tackle (on defense) rather than carry the ball.

Line-of-Scrimmage -- the starting point for each play. Opposing linemen face

each other over the line-of-scrimmage.

Punt -- The ball is kicked (punted) deep downfield to the opposite team.

(Usually on a 4th down and long yardage to go.)

Receiver -- an offensive player eligible to receive a pass.

Safety -- Defenders tackle ball carrier in his own End Zone, or force him out of

bounds. Defense scores TWO POINTS!

Tackle -- a defensive player "tackles" the ball-carrier to stop his progress.

Touchdown -- the basic score in football -- running or passing the ball into the

opponent's end zone. Worth seven points in this game. (Extra point is

automatically added.)

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Play this game on the INTELLIVISION LIVES! CD-ROM, available at