Quarterback

QUARTERBACK

===========



BEING A QUARTERBACK AIN'T EASY but it's the most exciting positioi in Big League American Football. This is THE

simulation with action so real you can almost feel the pigskin! Designed as an accurate version of the No. l Arcade

Smash, under the watchful eye of one of the game's premier Quarterbacks - John Elway (Denver Broncos). This is

ground-shaking excitement for 1 or 2 players.





ABOUT THE GAME



In this arcade conversion by Virgin Gaines, YOU are the Quarterback and not just the armchair coach. You call the

plays during the game, control the team and do most of the work yourself!



In order that players with different levels of knowledge of the game of American Football can play and enjoy

Quarterback, we are including an introduction to the sport in this manual. If you are a regular viewer of the

Channel 4 NFL coverage, or you play with a local club, you might want to skip over the chapter entitled "About

Football" and go straight to the game instructions themselves in "How to Play".



Also, at the back of the manual is a glossary of all the terms used in discussing the sport, both here and on

Channel 4! It should prove useful when reading the manual - and may settle a few arguments on Sunday nights...





ABOUT FOOTBALL



Object of the Game



The object of the game is to move the ball down the field and eventually carry it across the Goal Line into the

opposing teams End Zone. The team is awarded points for each time it is able to accomplish this (there are other

ways of earning points which will be discussed, but this is the principle one). The team with the most points at

the end of a game wins.



The Team



A football team is normally made up of eleven players. The positions and duties of these players are different,

depending on whether the team is playing Offense (the team that has control of the ball) or Defense. In college

and league games, usually a different group of eleven plays Defense from the group that plays Offense (teams may

have as many as 45 men to choose from).





OFFENSIVE PLAYERS



The Quarterback calls the Offensive plays, receives the ball from the Center on command (the Snap), is the primary

passer and ball handler, and sometimes also runs the ball.



On the Offensive Front Line, there is the Center, who "Snaps" the ball to the Quarterback to put it into play, then

blocks against the rushing Defensive Lineman. He is flanked by two Guards and two Tackles. These five make up the

interior Front Line. None are ever eligible to receive a pass from any Offensive player (when their team is the

Offense).



The Tight End, although stationed next to one of the Tackles and part of the Front Line (one of his responsibilities

is to block), is eligible to receive a pass. Because only one side of the Offensive Line has a Tight End, this side

is referred to as the Strongside, and the side without the Tight End is referred to as the Weakside.



Two Wide Receivers are stationed several yards away from the interior Linemen, either right on the Front Line or

slightly back from it. These are usually the team's fastest pass receivers.



In the Backfield are the Fullback and Halfback (sometimes designated together as Running Backs). These are both

expected to be good blockers (they often are the ones protecting the ball carrier on a run), as well as receivers,

and runners. In addition, the Halfback sometimes throws passes after a Handoff from the Quarterback.





DEFENSIVE PLAYERS



The Defensive Front Line is made up of two Tackles in between two Ends. Their job is to stop a running attack and

rush a passer.



Directly behind the Front Line are three Linebackers. They defend against running plays, drop back to defend against

passes, or bolster the front line in heavy rushing plays such as Blitzes (more about the Blitz in the "Strategy"

section).



In the Backfield are two Safeties and two Comerbacks. Their jobs are to tackle any runners who get past the

Linebackers, and cover Receivers going out for passes (to either intercept the passes or tackle Receivers after

they have gained possession of the ball). They also help rush in a Blitz play.





THE GAME



At the beginning of a game, the team captains flip a coin to decide who will kick off and who will receive.



The kickoff is taken from the 35-yard line of the kicking team. The ball must travel at least 10 yards to be a

legal kick. The kicker's objective is to kick the ball as far as he can, so the opposition will gain possession of

the ball as deep in their own half of the playing field as possible. The first Line of Scrimmage (starting point)

is determined by:



a) where the ball goes out of bounds (if outside of the Receivers' 35-yard line), or,



b) on the Receivers' 35-yard line (if the ball goes out of bounds between the Receivers' 35-yard line and Goal Line),

or,



c) where the ball carrier is tackled (if someone picks it up and begins running it back) or,



d) on the Receivers' 20-yard line (if the ball travels, without anyone touching it, all the way into the receiving

team's End Zone, or if a Receiver catches the ball in the End Zone and touches his knee to the ground) - this is

called a Touchback.



After the ball is "downed," a strategic battle begins. The Offense (team with control of the ball at that time) is

allowed four attempts, called Downs, to move the ball at least ten yards forward. The Quarterback directs these

efforts by designating individual running and passing Plays.





OFFENSIVE GAME PLAY



When the Quarterback calls a play for the Offense, he is directing the men on his team to run a "pattern,"

a predetermined series of moves. Usually the interior Linemen will block in some fashion, and one or more of the

eligible receivers will run down the field in order to be ready to receive a pass. The Quarterback will then either

run with the ball toward the Goal Line, or give the ball (via a handoff or a short or long pass) to another player

to carry, according to the Play determined during the Huddle.



Once the Play is running, quite a few different things can happen:



i) the Play can succeed and some yards downfield are gained



ii) a Touchdown or Fieldgoal is scored



iii) the Quarterback (or ball carrier) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage and yards are lost. These have to be

made up in addition to the 10 yards, if the team is to keep the ball.



iv) a pass falls incomplete, that is not caught by an eligible receiver with both feet inside the play area.



v) a pass is intercepted by the Defence and they gain possession of the ball.



vi) the ball is dropped (fumbled) by the Offense and picked up by the other team, which then keeps the ball. If one

of the Offense picks it up the ball stays with them.



Once ten yards (or more) have been gained a new first down is awarded by the referee and the Offense gets four more

downs to move toward the opposition goal-line.



If they don't make it, the ball is turned over to the opponents for them to try and move it in the same way. Most

times, however, on the fourth down, if the Offense don't feel they are going to make the ten yards, they will punt

the ball as far down the field as they can. This still gives the ball to the other team, but at least it pushes

them back close to their own line, meaning they have further to go to score any points.





DEFENSIVE GAME PLAY



While the Offense is trying to move the ball down the field toward the appropriate Goal, the Defensive team is

doing its best to prevent it. Even more, the Defense would like to push the Offense back farther from their Goal,

or better yet (but more rare), gain possession of the ball through a fumble or interception.



The person who calls the play on the Defensive team is the Middle Linebacker.





SCORING



There are several different ways to score in Football. There is the Touchdown, which is accomplished by a player

carrying the ball into the opposition's End Zone. This can be accomplished by any player on the field. For instance,

a Defensive Tackle, who would be ineligible to receive the ball if his team were playing Offense, can intercept

a pass meant for an Offensive receiver and run with the ball all the way down to the opposite End Zone. A Touchdown

awards six points to the team that accomplishes it.



After every Touchdown, the team has the opportunity to make the "Extra Point." The ball is snapped from the 2-yard

line to about the 10-yard line, where a Kicker attempts to kick the ball through the Goal Posts and over the

crossbar, for one point. The Extra Point looks identical in execution to the Field Goal, described next.



A Field Goal (kicking the ball through the Goal Posts) attempt may be made by the Offense at any time in the game,

from anywhere on the playing field. It is frequently performed in place of a Punt on the fourth down, if the

Offense is within 35 yards of the Goal. Sometimes it may be possible to successfully kick a Field Goal from as far

as the 50-yard line (making a kick of 75 yards, including the ten yards in the End Zone and the seven or so yards

the kicker usually stands back from the Line of Scrimmage). Longer Field Goals are beyond the capacity of even most

professional Kickers. A team is awarded three points for a completed Field Goal.



Although it doesn't happen very often, if a team can catch a man from the Offense with the ball in his own End Zone

and can tackle him, they score two points, called Safety.





GAME vs REALITY



There are some necessary differences in the way the game plays against the real sport, as with all simulations, so

read the chapter "How to Play" for a detailed explanation of how all this relates to your program.





LOADING INSTRUCTIONS



IBM / TANDY



1. Insert the disc into drive A.

2. With some models of Tandy computers, you need to hold down the F12 key during the loading of the program in order

to get color. Depress the key and hold it down through Step 3, until you hear a series of short beeps. Then

release the key.

3. Turn the computer on, or if already on, press CTRL-ALT-DEL. Program will load automatically.

4. The first screen choice will be for your graphics mode. Press the key for your desired graphics mode (it must be

a mode supported by your computer).

5. The next screen choice will be for number of players. Select 0 for demo mode. 1 if you will play against the

computer, 2 to play with a friend.

6. Respond to the prompts to select joystick or keyboard controls.

7. Next you will need to select game speed. 1 is the fastest, 9 is the slowest. Speed will also vary according to

the speed of your computer.

8. When prompted, use your arrow keys with ENTER key, or a joystick with FIRE button, to input the required

biographical information and the city of the team you would like to play for.



ATARI ST: Insert disc in Drive A. Program will load and run.



COMMODORE 64/128 DISC: Type LOAD"JEQ",8,l and press RETURN. Program will load and run. When prompted, use your

joystick with FIRE button to input the required biographical information and the city of the team you would like to

play for.



COMMODORE 64/128 CASS: Hold down SHIFT key and press RUN/STOP. Press PLAY on tape. Program will load and run.



AMSTRAD DISC: Run 'Disc'.



AMSTRAD CASS: (464) Press CTRL and small ENTER.

(6128) Type /TAPE and press RETURN. Press CTRL and small ENTER.



SPECTRUM +3 DISC: Insert disc into drive and press RETURN.



SPECTRUM CASS: Put your machine into 48k mode. Type LOAD"" and press ENTER. Program will load and run.





PLAYER CONTROLS



COMMODORE 64/128



Use your joystick to move up, down, to the side, and diagonally. (You can tell which player is under your control by

the lighter color of his jersey.) The "fire button" will be used for special functions such as passing and kicking,

leaping and tackling (see below). For 2 players, 2 joysticks are required.



PASSING



Once the ball is snapped to the Quarterback, he can pass it as long as he remains behind the line of scrimmage.



The player enters the "passing mode" in regular game play by pressing and holding down the joystick button. An arrow

will appear on the field. Using the joystick, move the arrow to the pass destination.



To pass, double-click the fire button.

(To abort passing mode, just release the fire button.)



KICKING



When a Kicking play is indicated, the player controls the Kicker.



The player enters the "kicking mode" by holding down the joystick button. An arrow will appear on the Field. Using

the joystick, move the arrow to the kick destination.



To kick, double-click the fire button.

(To abort kicking mode, just release the fire button.)



LEAPING TACKLING



On Defense, press the joystick button to leap. If no direction is indicated with the joystick, the player will leap

straight up (used to intercept a pass or block a kick). If a direction is indicated, the player will leap that way.

This can be used to tackle the ball carrier.



On Offense, press the spacebar to leap. (The joystick must be released before you press the spacebar.) If your

player is standing still, he will leap straight up (useful for catching a pass). If your player is running, he will

dive in that direction (good for gaining a little extra yardage).



OTHER CONTROLS: P - Pause (from Play screen only)

S - Sound on/off

F1 - Show player(s) stats (from Pause mode only)

F3 - Help (from Pause mode only)

F7 - Exits game (from Pause mode only)

RUN/STOP RESTORE

Exits game without updating status



At the Hall of Fame (high score) screen, you may vary the length of the Quarters from 15 minutes to anything from 1

to 10 minutes by pressing a number key from 1 to 0.



EXTENDED PLAY (Disc only)



To build on the player used in your last play session, simply input the same personal info (initials, date of birth).

You will also need to play with the same team you used before. You can then begin with your established salary and

the higher level of challenge that goes with it.



AMSTRAD/SPECTRUM



The joystick controls work exactly the same for these versions as they do on the C64/128. In addition, however, you

can follow the on-screen prompts to define your own keyboard controls for the functions.





HOW TO PLAY QUARTERBACK



The Locker Room



The IBM, Atari ST, Amiga and C64/128 disc versions of the game allow you to store your level of achievement in the

game and continue on from that point next play. This is done by entering your personal details at the start of the

game, which then distinguish you in future loads. All your personal passing, rushing and scoring records are held

and the game resets to a higher level of difficulty to match your level of play.



On the C64/128 tape, Amstrad and Spectrum versions this is not possible. Once you switch off, the level is lost.

The salary functions here as a high score table, with the difficulty increasing as you get better.



You may notice that the game uses only nine players on field per team, as opposed to the eleven used in real life.

This is due to the game being an EXACT translation of the coin-op hit - in that the number was restricted in order

to allow the intelligence of the computer controlled figures to be increased to its present very high level. The

computations increase exponentially with each man added and 18 was set as the best compromise between playability

and reality. Twenty-two was considered far too slow.



In addition, most postions on the team carry multiple responsibilites and it is difficult to tell at any given

moment which players are "missing" in the game. Generally, one linebacker and one lineman from each team is out.



Quarterback is played much the same way as the real thing. From the kick off the team with the ball has four downs

to get the ten yards they need to keep it.



Before each play, the team goes into a huddle and you decide what everyone will do next. Your choices are listed

out on the screen. Offense has nine plays available and Defense six, plus the kicking options for both sides shown

at the top of the option sections.



In football it is illegal to hold up the game too long and a penalty is awarded against you. The game deals with

this by just stopping the clock after 30 seconds. No matter how long you take, you cannot use up more than that

amount of game-time and thus gain an advantage towards the end of a match when time is precious to the opposition.





Controlling the Plays



Read the section on player control if you have not already done so, to see how to move around the screen and throw

passes etc. on your computer.



When running the Offense, you control the man with the ball. Just after the snap, this will be the Quarterback but

once you complete a pass, control will shift to the receiver and you can try and break off a long one! (Gain a lot

of yards).



On Defense you run the Middle Linebacker, who is the one who controls the squad on the field. If you intercept the

ball, however, control passes to the player with the ball and on running back a kick you will control the carrier,

while the computer controls the players running blocks.



The man you are currently in control of is always shown in solid colour on-screen and is easily distinguished.

Remember that during plays, you can change your mind "on the fly" and take advantage of situations which develop

around you. For example you have called a pass play, but the defense reads it and falls back to cover your

receivers. In front of you are several open yards of field... go for it! Run until they drop you. First downs are

often had this way.



Similarly, drop back and throw sometimes on run situations. This puts the defense off balance, as it is trying to

work out your game-plan and respond to it in order to frustrate your scoring ploys. If you're predictable you're

history!



The disadvantage is that of course your computer driven team-mates will be still running the called play... so make

it good.





DIFFERENCES: Game to Sport



Normally in American Football, there are only a limited number of players who are eligible to receive a pass. The

Center, Guards and Tackles are almost never eligible, while the Ends are. In addition anyone behind the line of

scrimmage is deemed eligible.



In the game, the only change is that because of the reduced team size, one of the Tackles will be eligible to

receive a pass and will run a pattern like any other receiver. He is distinguished on screen by the way he lines up,

which is totally different to the other interior Linemen.



Penalties are not allowed in Quarterback. The computer will not commit a foul and so it will not let you do anything

illegal either! We will have good clean games here whatever you try and pull.



Handing the ball off to a runner requires split second timing and coordination even in the real game. At the size of

man possible on-screen, it was decided that it was nearly impossible and so to improve the playability the option

was dropped. On running plays you get control of the runner directly after the snap, without the need to make the

hand-off. As both sides have this advantage, no overall change in the balance of the match results and the game is

much more enjoyable.



One other option is omitted, which is the chance after a Touchdown is scored to run the ball into the End Zone for

the extra point, as opposed to kicking it between the posts. As this is a rarely used option anyway its absence

should not detract from the game too much.



Other than these few changes to enhance playability, Quarterback is very close indeed to the real thing. The same

things work in the game as succeed on the field. Basic strategy has to be right and practise is the only way to

improve!





STRATEGY



After you have fun just fooling around for a while, you'll probably want to increase your chances of winning by

injecting some strategy into your game play. Strategy is just common sense.



Time



Sometimes time is on your side. And sometimes it isn't.



If you are losing, don't waste precious moments in the huddle. Make your play selection as quickly as possible so

you'll have more time to play ball.



On the other hand, when you are ahead in the final minutes of the game, sometimes stalling in the huddle can waste

precious seconds in which the other team might have more chances to make a touchdown (even if your team has the

ball, they can still intercept).



Kicking



When kicking, the usual strategy is to get the ball as deep in your opponent's territory as you can, without kicking

it into the End Zone (which results in a Touchback, and allows the other team to put the ball back into play at

their twenty-yard line).



If you can, you want to do better than that by having the ball stop at the ten or even the five-yard line. (Of

course, your opponents can still pick up the ball and run with it, but if you're fast, hopefully they won't get

far.)



Alternatively, you might want to try an Onside Kick. This is a short kick (remember, in order to be legal the kick

must travel at least 10 yards). The idea is that if you move fast, one of your own players may be able to pick up

the ball, and you (instead of your opponent) would have control of the ball. This is a very risky play, because if

you don't recover the ball, the other team will be much closer to their Goal than if you had kicked the ball deep.

The only time you might want to try this is when you are behind and time is short.



Passing



After the snap, you should always fade back five to ten yards before you pass. This will give you time to scan for

a receiver. Of course, this also makes it more critical than ever that you not get sacked before you release the ball,

or you will be thrown for a significant loss.



Always remember to "lead" your receiver. That is, throw the ball not to where he is at the minute you release it,

but to where he will be when the ball comes down.



Game Plan



Football is very much a thinking man's game. The intelligent selection of a play is made possible by not only

thinking of what is sensible from your own team's standpoint, but also by trying to psych out what play the other

team is likely to call. For instance, if you are the Offense, you might select a Sweep, even though you have been

having good luck with passing and you need at least several yards. This way you may surprise the Defense, who are

probably expecting you to Pass and have called their play accordingly.



The best Quarterbacks and coaches try to analyze each play as it is happening, not only their own plays but also

those of the opponents. If you pay attention, you may be able to notice what play the other team is using against

yours, combine that with what you personally did, and analyze the outcome. Eventually, you may be able not only to

act, but also to react fluidly in the game, according to your analyses of what has happened in the past and what is

happening at that moment.



Eventually, you may want to develop a game plan to follow, and then refine it constantly until you can maximize

your chances for success in any one game.





OFFENSIVE PLAYS



Sneak



The Sneak is a fairly conservative, safe play designed to gain a small amount of yardage. Basically, the front line

tries to open up a small space in the center of the field, and the Quarterback shoves through as far as he can go.



This play is most appropriately used when your team is only a couple of yards away from a first down or from a

touchdown. If much yardage is needed, this play will not be effective. (Exception: if the Defense sets up a Prevent

play, which leaves the front line weak because it is designed to defend against passes, a Sneak play may actually

gain several yards.)



Draw



The player placement for the Draw looks like a passing play, but is actually a tricky running play. The idea is for

four receivers to run patterns (two up the middle and two up the sides), as if they were expecting a pass, and

"draw" off the defense so the Quarterback can run directly up the center.



The Draw is potentially capable of gaining several offensive yards. However, the downside risk is that if the

Defense has set up a heavy blocking play and does not deviate from that (even when they see what looks like a

passing play in progress), there is a good chance of the Quarterback getting sacked for a loss, or having to throw

the ball hurriedly. In this case there is very little chance of his connecting with the receiver, and a better than

average chance of the pass being intercepted.



Sweep



The Sweep is basically a wide run by the Quarterback, with plenty of offensive blocking. The play is most effective

if the ball carrier does not swing out too wide before heading downfield.



If the Quarterback has good speed and gets some running room, this play can gain you good yardage.



Screen Pass



The setup of the Screen Pass is the same as for the Sweep, with plenty of front line blocking support. However, in

this case the Running Back receives the ball. After the ball is snapped, he circles behind the Quarterback to take

a pass somewhere behind the Line of Scrimmage. Then he runs down the field, toward the goal.



The Screen Pass is usually good for a few yards. It also has the advantage of being impossible to tell from the

Sweep until after the ball has been in motion for at least a couple of seconds. At worst, this leads to a moment

of indecision on the part of the Defense. At best, the Defense might be momentarily fooled into running the wrong

way.



Action



The Action play has nearly everyone possible lined up on the Line of Scrimmage, as if to block heavily for a running

play. After the snap, three players snake out to become potential receivers for a pass from the Quarterback.



The Action play is designed to catch the Defense off guard, by setting up what looks like a running play and then

"switching" to a pass. It has fairly good potential for yardage gain, if the defensive line doesn't get through the

hole left by the Tackle going out for the pass.



Lookie



The Lookie is quite simply a short pass. After the ball is in motion, the Quarterback takes not more than three

steps, and snaps the ball at any one of four Offensive players running rather criss-cross paths.



The Lookie is a very basic play, but which requires everyone to be fast on their feet: the Offense, to execute it

properly, and the Defense, to effectively defend against it.



Post



The Post is a deep pass down the middle. It requires strong blocking to be successful, since the Quarterback must

wait to throw the ball until his potential receivers have made a good start down the field.



While not as spectacular as the Bomb, the Post, successfully executed, has the potential for large yardage gains.



Shotgun



In the Shotgun, the intended Receiver runs a "square out" pattern (slightly downfield then cutting straight out

toward the sidelines) to about ten yards downfield. Other decoy receivers head straight downfield, to distract and

dilute the Defensive coverage.



The Shotgun is not as spectacular as the Bomb play, but has the potential for picking up First Down yardage in

obvious passing situations. The Receiver is much easier to hit if you are successful in faking out the Defense

into following the decoys.



Bomb



In the Bomb, several eligible receivers head straight down the field as soon as the ball is snapped. The Linemen

then have the difficult job of defending a rush with less than half their team, while the Quarterback waits until

his targets are far down the field. Then he launches The Bomb.



The Bomb is probably the most spectacular of all Offensive plays. A successful execution always pleases the fans,

and in just a few moments adds significantly to a Quarterback's "passing yards" statistic. It also has a decent

chance of directly or indirectly causing a Touchdown. For these reasons and others, the Bomb is attempted far more

often than its difficulty and odds for success probably warrants.



Punt



The Punt is simply a kick. It is usually only performed on the Fourth Down, when the Offense stands a good chance

of losing the ball. Since that is the case, it is better to put more distance between your opponents and their Goal

when they take possession.



Field Goal



A Field Goal attempt is a kick designed to go between the Goal Posts and over the crossbar. It can be performed from

anywhere on the field by the Offensive team. However, it becomes more difficult to score from beyond the 35-yard

line, and almost impossible beyond the 50-yard line.





DEFENSIVE PLAYS



Goal Line



The Goal Line play emphasizes blocking, positioning the majority of the defensive players on the Line of Scrimmage,

leaving only three players to defend against passes.



This play is applicable in a short yardage defensive situation. When the offense is only a couple of yards away from

a first down, or Goal, their most likely selection of play would be a brute force rush. The Goal Line play is a good

defensive counter to that strategy. It is not great strategy for defending against a run down the line, and even

less effective against passing.



Standard Run



The Standard Run is a split defensive play. It gives roughly equal manpower (as far as is possible on a team with

an odd number of players) to defending against a run or against a pass.



The Standard Run defense is a frequently-used defense in a situation where there is no indication of what the

Offense will do.



Stunt



This is a tricky play designed to fake out the Offensive Blockers. The Defensive Ends cut diagonally inside instead

of meeting the Offensive Tackle head on (this should bring him in BEHIND the Offensive Guard). The Defensive Tackles

cut behind their own Defensive Ends and ideally cut back in behind the Offensive Tackles.



Both the Stunt and the Blitz (following) are designed to widen the action and force the Blockers to deal with more

space. Because of the open space, there is a greater opportunity for one or more of the Defensive Linemen to get

past the Blockers and zero in on the Quarterback.



At worst, this play will at least knock the Offensive blockers a little off balance. At best, there is a potential

for up to four Defensive Linemen to get past the Offensive line with possibly no one between them and the

Quarterback.



Blitz



The setup for a Blitz play looks just the same as a Standard Run, disguising the Defensive strategy. After the snap,

the Defensive Linemen, and also a Safety, rush the Offensive line. In addition, a Comerback runs around the end,

leaving only the other Comerback and Safety to guard against passes. This is probably the most "offensive" of

Defensive plays.



The value of the Blitz is in the surprise offered. Not only is the assault on the Offense hard to resist, but the

unexpectedness of the attack increases the strength of the play. However, the Blitz is a very high-risk defense.

While it is great against runs up the middle and sweeps, it can be disastrous if the Quarterback manages to launch

a pass before being tackled, since the Defense is in a VERY weak position to prevent or to catch the receiver.



Zone



The Zone defense looks exactly like a Standard Run, evenly divided between backfielders defending against a pass and

linemen defending against a rush or a run. The difference is that after the snap, the backfielders stay in specific

assigned areas, or zones, to prevent any one area of the field being left open to a pass.



The Zone is a very commonly used defense. It is best used against an Offensive passing play - it is not as effective

against a run.



Prevent



In the Prevent defensive play, the Line is limited to three men, and the backfield stands a little further back than

usual. The purpose of the Prevent play is to defend against a pass.



This play should be used when anticipating a pass. If the opposing Quarterback has a high "hit" ratio or has some

other reason for attempting a pass, this play should be used. If the Offense chooses to run instead of pass, the

backfield is still in a position to stop the ball carrier if he gets past the linemen, however, since they start

further back than usual, it is a good possibility that the carrier will gain more yardage than if another play were

used.



Punt Return



This play is only to be used when the Offense is in Punt formation. But since the Offense may still decide to switch

and run the ball, you should keep alert.



Blocking A Kick



Use only when the Offense is set up for a Field Goal or the Extra Point after a Touchdown. As above, remain alert!





A FOOTBALL GLOSSARY



Football, like many sports, uses specialized technical terms that can leave the outsider or newcomer confused and

bewildered.



This glossary of terms will help you become more familiar with the vocabulary of football.



BACK: Shortened term for a Backfielder, that is, a Fullback, Halfback, Cornerback, or Safety.



BACKFIELD: The areas behind the Offensive and Defensive Lines. Also refers to players behind the Linemen.



BLITZ: A risky Defensive play in which most of the team (including most of the Backfielders) rushes the Line of

Scrimmage.



BLOCK: Getting between a Defender and his target, the ball carrier.



CENTER: The Offensive player in the center of the Line, who hikes or snaps the ball to the Quarterback to begin play.

He is also responsible for blocking after the ball is hiked.



COMPLETION: A completed pass, one that has been caught by the receiver on the Offensive team.



CORNERBACK: The Defensive player positioned at the extreme outer limits of the Defense - that is, the comer.



CROSSBAR: The beam running between the upright sections of the Goal Post, parallel to the ground.



DEFENSE: The team without the football.



END ZONE: The ten yards of field between the Goal Line and Goal Posts. The team running the ball into this area is

awarded a Touchdown.



EXTRA POINT: The point awarded the Offensive team for successfully kicking the football through the Goal Post after

scoring a touchdown.



FIELD GOAL: An Offensive kick made any time other than after a Touchdown, from any point on the field, and designed

to put the football through the Goal Post; like an Extra Point kick, but worth three points.



FIRST DOWN: First of four plays, called Downs, during which the Offensive team attempts to advance the ball ten

yards.



GOAL LINE: Boundary between the playing field and the End Zone.



GOAL POST: Vertical posts connected by a crossbar, set ten yards behind the Goal Line.



GUARD: An Offensive Lineman, whose primary responsibility is to keep the Defensive Tackle from getting to the

Quarterback or other ball carrier.



HIKE: The exchange of football from the Center to the Quarterback that initiates play.



INTERCEPTION: A pass caught by a Defensive player rather than the intended receiver.



INCOMPLETE: Refers to a pass which was dropped or missed by the intended receiver, and not caught by anyone else.



KICKOFF: Play that starts each half of a game, or follows a Touchdown or Field Goal, in which one team kicks the

ball to the other team.



LINE: Refers to Defensive and Offensive players stationed on the Line of Scrimmage at the start of play, whose

respective duties are to Rush the Quarterback and to Block.



LINEBACKER: Defensive players behind the Linemen. Sometimes they "back up" the Linemen on Rushes, and sometimes they

drop back to defend against passes.



LINEMEN: Same as Line.



LINE OF SCRIMMAGE: Imaginary line running through the tip of the football positioning at the start of each play,

which extends from sideline to sideline. It marks the boundary between Offensive and Defensive players before a

play begins.



OFFENSE: The team in possession of the football at the beginning of the current play in progress.



PAT: An abbreviation for the Point after Touchdown.



PASS: Throwing the ball, usually from the Quarterback to an eligible receiver.



PENALTY: An infraction of the rules. John Elway's Quarterback does not allow the player to do anything that would

result in a penalty.



POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN: Point awarded a team after successfully kicking the ball through the Goal Post in the play

after scoring a Touchdown.



PUNT: A kick downfield, usually on a Fourth Down after the Offensive team has judged it unlikely that they will

attain a First Down.



QUARTERBACK: Offensive player who calls the plays and more or less controls the ball.



RUNNING BACK: Term used to refer to either a Halfback or Fullback, both Offensive Backfielders.



SAFETY: Defensive Backfielder whose main responsibility is to defend against passes and long runs.



SWEEP: Offensive rushing play.



TD: Abbreviation for Touchdown.



TACKLE: As a noun (object), Tackle refers to either a Defensive or Offensive Lineman. As a verb (action word),

Tackle refers to the act of grabbing and knocking the ball carrier to the ground.



TOUCHDOWN: Crossing the Goal Line with the football, or catching the ball in the opponent's End Zone; worth six

points.



AUDIBLE: A signal called by the Quarterback at the line of scrimmage when he changes the play set during the huddle.



BLOCKING: A blocker is not allowed to

(i) use his hands to grab or hold

(ii) encircle or trip to grab or hold

(iii) block from any direction other than the front.



CHAIN CREW: The officials who use a ten yard measuring chain on the side lines to settle disputes as to whether the

distance has been made or not.



CLIPPING: An illegal form of blocking by knocking down the opponents from behind and below the wrist.



CUT: A sidestep whilst running at speed.



DELAY OF GAME: The penalty awarded when the Quarterback does not begin a play within the 30 seconds allowed.



DOGGING: Another name for blitzing.



ENCROACHMENT: Tackling an opposing player before the ball is snapped back to the Quarterback.



FAKE: Pretending to do something purely to confuse the Defense; i.e. hand off to a running back before throwing

a pass.



FUMBLE: Dropping the ball when it is under control, usually as a result of a tackle or a stumble.



HANDOFF: The transfer of the ball by the Quarterback to another player, other than by a pass.



HANG TIME: How long a punted ball stays in the air.



HASHMARKS: The two lines which mark out the middle portion of the pitch and on, or inside, which all play begins.



HUDDLE: The meeting of the on field players between plays to decide their next move.



INELIGIBLE RECEIVER: A player not allowed to catch a pass legally.



IN MOTION: One player on the Offense is allowed to go "in motion" i.e. move, before the ball is snapped, to a new

position. He is only permitted to move sideways and must not go forwards until the snap.



INTENTIONAL GROUNDING: A pass deliberately thrown down on the ground by the Quarterback to avoid being tackled

(sacked) for a loss.



INTERIOR LINEMEN: The tackles, guards and center who form the center of the offensive line.



KNUCKLE BALL: A pass which tumbles end for end instead of spinning on its axis.



LATERAL: A pass going sideways or backwards.



NEUTRAL ZONE: A strip of ground the length of the football (11 inches) which divides the teams on the line of

scrimmage.



OFFSIDE: A lineman beyond the line of scrimmage at the snap is offside.



ONSIDE KICK: A short kick off in the hope of regaining possession nearer the opposition line than would be possible

otherwise, when a team needs to score again quickly.



PASS INTERFERENCE: Illegal contact by either player involved in an attempt to catch or intercept the ball.



PENALTY MARKER: The yellow flag thrown by the referee to mark where an offense has taken place.



PERSONAL FOUL: Tackling outside the rules i.e. clipping, kicking or punching.



PLAY ACTION: When a Quarterback runs to one side or the other before delivering a pass.



POCKET: The ring of protection from which the Quarterback passes. Play action is when he leaves it.



PREVENT: A defensive ploy which increases protection against long passes.



ROUGHING: Hitting either the kicker or passer - hard - once they have parted with the ball. Done to intimidate or

injure.



RUSHING PLAY: Running with the ball following a hand off or lateral.



SACK: To tackle the Quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, while he has the ball, thereby losing his team

yardage.



SIDELINE: The touchline. It is out of bounds and a catcher must not touch it with his feet if his play is to be

considered legal.



SHIFT: A re-alignment of the offense just before the snap. Confusion of the defense being the aim.



SNAP: The transfer of the ball from center to Quarterback.



SPEARING: Diving onto a grounded player, helmet first.



STUNTING: An outside linebacker looping around to get through the offensive line.



TIME OUT: The game clock is stopped, either by the captains or the officials.



TOUCHBACK: A defender kneels with the ball in his own end-zone, thereby refusing to run it back, or when the ball

passes through the end-zone from a kick play. The ball is placed on the 20 yard line to re-start the match.



TWO MINUTE WARNING: The automatic time-out which occurs two minutes before the end of each half.



TWO MINUTE DRILL: The routine each team has worked out in advance to optimise use of the remaining time and

frustrate their opponents at the same time.







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