



      ****************************************************************

      DEFENSE is a game of strategy ,skill, and quick reflexes.  Just 
      as in real football, the offense and defense try to outguess each 
      other.  Just as in real football, the biggest gains are made on     
      plays that fool the defense and vice versa.  Tackles can be made 
      or missed depending on the skill of the players in moving 
      defenders and ballcarriers on the screen.  And the player on 
      offense can block, so that the reaction times of both players 
      become key factors.  Infractions of the rules result in 
      penalties.  Even the pace at which the game is played is about 
      the same as that of a real game.  It is not a hard game to play, 
      but to play it well takes practice and knowing the subtle tricks 
      of the game.

      *****************************************************************
      ----------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CONTENTS
      ----------------------------------------------------------------


           CHAPTER

                   INTRODUCTION .............................  1
                        The game disks ......................  2
              1    GENERAL INFORMATION ......................  3 
                        The controls ........................  3
                        The playing field ...................  7 
              2    THE HIT RULES ............................  8 
                        When you are allowed to hit .........  8
                        Hits during a run ...................  9
                        Hits during a pass .................. 10
                        Hits in the breakthrough zone ....... 11 
                        Hits during a pass rush ............. 11
                        Hits when rushing a kick ............ 12
                        Summary ............................. 12
              3    OPTIONS .................................. 13
                        Automatic signal calling ............ 13
                        Automatic tackling .................. 13
                        Game speed .......................... 13
                        The hit-sound option ................ 13
                        Pursuit ............................. 14
                        Blocking ............................ 14
                        Block handicap ...................... 14
                        Automatic blocking .................. 15
                        Left-right motion ................... 15
                        Playing against the computer ........ 17
                        How to change options ............... 18
              4    DEFENSIVE SIGNAL CALLING ................. 19
                        If you want no rush ................. 19
                        If you want a rush .................. 20
                        The defensive menu .................. 22
              5    OFFENSIVE SIGNAL CALLING ................. 25
              6    THE PLAY ................................. 27
                        Starting the play ................... 27
                        The running play .................... 27
                        The pass play ....................... 29
                        Draw play ........................... 31
                        Fieldgoal attempt ................... 32
                        Punt ................................ 32
                        Kickoff ............................. 33
                        On-side kick ........................ 33
                        Scoring ............................. 34
              7    HOW THE COMPUTER KEEPS TRACK OF THINGS ... 35
                        The score board ..................... 35
                        Time ......... ...................... 35
              8    PENALTIES ................................ 37
              9    HUMAN AGAINST COMPUTER ................... 39



                    INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GAME OF DEFENSE

      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      INTRODUCTION
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      These are the directions for playing DEFENSE, a new concept in 
      electronic football.  It is a concept that allows the best 
      simulation of real football that has ever been made.  It is to 
      other games what chess is to checkers.  Because it is more than 
      the normal chase-game, you will have to do a little reading and 
      practicing. Between these instructions and the PRACTICE disk, you 
      should have no trouble becoming a pro.

      The main difference between this game and the others is that YOU, 
      not your computer, do the tackling and blocking.  How well you 
      call a play or a defense determines what your chances of success 
      are.  Then your skill and your reflexes let you improve those 
      chances. 

      There is little that can be done in a real football game that 
      cannot be done in this game - runs, passes, screen passes, draw 
      plays, fieldgoals, on-side kicks, blitzes, sacks, interceptions, 
      fumbles, blocked kicks, and penalties.

      This game offers a range of levels of difficulty through which 
      players can progress.  It can be played by two or four players 
      and by a humans against the computer.

      In order to get all of the advantages that this game offers, the 
      playing field has to be seen from a fair distance above the 
      ground.  That means that you can't have the beautifully animated 
      little men that run around other electronic football games.  Just 
      remember that those games have very realistic graphics but we 
      have a very realistic football game.

      In the interest of saving many bytes of disk space and many pages 
      that you would have to print out, the word "he" is used in this 
      booklet to mean "he or she".  There are no sinister chauvinistic 
      motives involved - only economy and conservation.

      We suggest that you go through the PRACTICE program to get an 
      idea of what the game is about.  Then use these instructions to 
      get a deeper understanding.  Next, use the PRACTICE program to 
      develop your skills.  The last step in your training should be 
      playing the real game, the DEFENSE program, against the computer.  
      Then you should be ready to take on a human opponent.



                                     1 


 
      THE GAME DISKS

      The following files are on the game disk (or disks).

         DEFENSE.EXE    the game program
         PRACTICE.EXE   a tutorial for the game
         SYMBOLS.PIX    must be on the same disk with either file
         SETTINGS.DEF   saves game settings for DEFENSE
         SETTINGS.PRA   saves game settings for PRACTICE
         DEFENSE.TXT    instruction booklet
         README         read as soon as possible
         README.TOO     read as soon as possible


      The game comes on two low-density diskettes or one high-density 
      diskette.  The main program is DEFENSE.EXE. Just put the disk 
      into drive A of your IBM PC (or compatible) and enter GO or 
      DEFENSE.  You will first get a chance to set up the game the way 
      you want to play it. Then the game will start.  Or you can put 
      all of the files into the hard drive and run from there.  
      Whichever drive you run from, the files SYMBOLS.PIX and 
      SETTINGS.DEF must be on the same drive as the .EXE file.

      A tutorial program PRACTICE.EXE teaches you the game and lets you 
      practice the basic skills.  Just put that disk into drive A and 
      enter PRACTICE.  Or you can run it from the hard disk.  Whichever 
      drive you run from, the files SYMBOLS.PIX and SETTINGS.PRA must 
      be on the same drive as the .EXE file.    

      The disks also have a file DEFENSE.TXT which has this instruction 
      booklet in it.  If you can, you should print it out.  The booklet 
      is for those who want the game explained in much more detail than 
      the PRACTICE disk does. 

      Note that both DEFENSE and PRACTICE need the file SYMBOLS.PIX.  
      It must be present on whichever disk you use to store these 
      programs on.












                                     2
      ----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 1.   GENERAL INFORMATION
      -----------------------------------------------------------------


      THE CONTROLS

      The game can be played with several combinations of keyboard,
      joysticks, and mouse.

      * Two joysticks and the keyboard.  The keyboard needs to be used 
      only for things like entering plays that are not on the menu or 
      to call time and accept or refuse penalties.  The set-up sequence 
      gives you a chance to check which joystick controls which team.  
      See the picture below.

      * One joystick or mouse and the keyboard.  If two humans are 
      playing, the joystick or mouse controls the red team on the left.  
      The player with the blue team on the right must use the arrow 
      keys of the keyboard.  If a human is playing against the 
      computer, the joystick or mouse moves to the blue team on the 
      right.  The player can use one of them or the arrow keys.  The 
      computer always plays the red team.  See the picture below.

      * Keyboard only.  This mode works well when a human is playing 
      against the computer.  The human must then use the arrow keys.  
      It is not the recommended way for two humans to play but it can 
      be done.  The player on the right must use the arrow keys to 
      control the blue team.  The player on the left must use the Q, A, 
      S, and Z keys to control the red team.  The player on offense 
      must enter his signals after the defense.  When two humans use 
      the keyboard, the block handicap does not work and the first 
      player to push a HIT button succeeds.  It is also possible for 
      other button pushes of the two players to interfere with each 
      other.  (Players should make pushes short.  No holding down a 
      button.)

      * Two players on a side.  If you have a mouse or a joystick 
      controlling either team, two players can play on one side.  One 
      player uses the joystick and one, the keyboard.  With two 
      joysticks, two players can play on each side.  On a team of two 
      players, one might be responsible for calling plays and directing 
      the left/right movements.  The other might do the blocking and 
      tackling.
 






                                     3
      --------PICTURE OF KEYBOARD, MOUSE, AND JOYSTICK MODES--------

      The pictures below show which side the keyboard (KB), joystick 
      (JS), and mouse (M) are on in the different modes.

        COMPUTER vs. HUMAN   HUMAN  vs.  HUMAN   HUMAN  vs.  HUMAN
                                                   (two sticks) 
          -------------        -------------       -------------
        /          <-KB \    / KB->     <-KB \   / KB->     <-KB \
       /_________________\  /_________________\ /_________________\
                   <-JS        JS->                JS->     <-JS
                   <-M          M->
      -------------------------------------------------------------






      The Joystick or Mouse

      With a joystick, the player should make a short move of the stick 
      and let it return to the middle.  With a mouse, he should make a 
      short movement and stop (no return to the original position).  
      Each such movement is equivalent to one push of a keyboard 
      button.  Left or right movements during the play let you control 
      left/right motion of your players.  

      You can use any button on the mouse or joystick as a HIT button 
      to make hits for blocks or tackles.  The computer looks at each 
      button several times each second to see if you are pushing it. If 
      your push is very short, it is possible for the computer to miss 
      it.  On the other hand, you can get into foul trouble if you push 
      it too long.  A little practice will teach you how long to push.  
      (The keyboard doesn't have that problem.  A short push will do.)

      If you're ever not sure which team your mouse or joystick 
      controls, it will help you to know that if you do anything with 
      it while the play menu is on the screen, a small dash will 
      appear under the bottom corner of the menu box on the side that 
      it controls and in the color of its team.

      When using the menu to call signals, the right motion lets you 
      move from one sub-menu to the next.  At the last sub-menu, it 
      also signals the computer that you have finished.

      A down movement when you are calling signals tells the computer 
      that you want to use the sub-menu to make a selection.  The 
      colored pointers will then appear.  After that, short up or down 
      movements move the pointers up or down.  Longer mouse movements 
      can be used to move the pointer over several selections.

                                     4
      The mouse or joystick buttons can be used instead of right 
      movement to go to the next sub-menu.  After signal calling, the 
      offensive button can be used to begin the play.

      If a software mouse driver is installed on your computer system, 
      the game will respond to a mouse (even if a joystick is also 
      installed).  If no mouse software is installed, the game responds 
      to any joysticks that are properly installed.

      During the set-up procedure you get a chance to adjust the joy 
      sticks.  The X and Y controls or tabs on the sticks should be put 
      about in the center.  The screen shows you the X and Y readings 
      the computer is getting from the sticks.  Move the stick all the 
      way to the right and note the X reading.  Move it all the way to 
      the left and note that reading.  Then let the stick return to the 
      middle and adjust the X tab so that the X reading is half way 
      between these two readings. (The numbers will move around a 
      little.) Do the same thing for the Y (up and down) direction.  
      If, during the game, the sticks begin to behave strangely, get 
      back to the set-up sequence and repeat the adjustment.

      After the adjustment, you get a chance to test the joystick or 
      mouse.  Pushing right should make an arrow appear that points in 
      the correct direction.  (If a joystick is not behaving correctly, 
      it might not be adjusted well.  Pushing X takes you back to the 
      adjustment procedure and lets you try again.)  Pushing any of the 
      buttons should make a sun appear.  All of these characters appear 
      on the left in red and on the right in blue, depending on which 
      team the device controls.  The device should, of course, be moved 
      to the side that it controls.  During the play, you might want to 
      slant it toward the screen so that right and left movement 
      corresponds to right and left movements of your players.

     
                          |___________________|
                                 screen
      
                                            \ \  <- joystick or mouse


      Whether you have a mouse or joystick or just a keyboard in your 
      system has some affect on the speed of the game.  You can 
      compensate for this with the speed setting.  Also, in some 
      situations, the computer gives the joystick a little faster 
      control of left-right movement to make up for a little slower 
      response to your pushing it.






                                     5
      The Keyboard

      The things that can be done with the joystick or mouse can also 
      be done from the Keyboard.  There are also some things that can 
      be done only on the Keyboard.  These things are calling signals 
      with the number keys instead of the menus, accepting or refusing 
      penalties, and freezing the screen.


      The following is a list of keys and what they do.


      A - - - - HIT-button for red (left) team.
              - Starts play when on offense.
              - Accepts penalty.
      F - - - - Freezes action on screen.  Second push un-freezes it.
      H - - - - Makes a hit and stops play even when not legal.
      L - - - - Shifts formation left in signal calling.
      M - - - - Shifts formation to middle in signal calling.
      N - - - - Answers "no" to question in set-up sequence.
      Q - - - - Causes left motion on red (left) team during play.
              - Moves pointers up during signal calling with menus.
      R - - - - Shifts formation right in signal calling. 
              - Refuses penalty.
      S - - - - Moves to next sub-menu during signal calling.
      T - - - - Time out.
      X - - - - Calls set-up sequence.
      Y - - - - Answers "yes" to questions in set-up sequence.
      Z - - - - Causes right movement on red (left) team during play.
              - Moves pointers down during signal calling with menus.
      0 to 9  - Used to call signals when not using menu. *
              - Used during set-up sequence. *
      Up arrow- Causes right motion on blue (right) team during play.
	      - Moves pointers up during signal calling with menus.
      Dn arrow- Causes left motion on blue (right) team during play.
	      - Moves pointers down during signal calling with menus. 
      Lft arow- HIT-button for blue (right) team.
              - Starts play when on offense.
      Rit arow- Moves to next sub-menu during signal calling.
      RETURN (or ENTER)
              - Calls default play if used instead of signals.
              - Marks end of signal calling when using number keys.
              - Starts play if playing against the computer.
      Space   - Can be used as HIT-button against computer.


        * Note: To enter numbers, use the row of numbers at the top
                of the main keyboard.  That way you can keep NUM LOCK
                off which lets you use the arrow keys on the numerical
                key-pad.  (If you have separate arrow keys, it doesn't 
                matter.)


                                     6
      THE PLAYING FIELD

      There are two things about the playing field that are peculiar to 
      this game.  The home (red) team always defends the left side and 
      the visiting (blue) team, the right.  The blue team always kicks 
      off first.  There is no changing of sides between quarters.  

      The top part of the screen is the playing area looking down on 
      the field.  Only a part of the football field can be seen in this 
      view.  It goes from sideline to sideline and covers about 54 
      yards in the down-field direction.  During a play, a black number 
      near the line of scrimmage shows what down it is.  On the bottom 
      of the screen is the side-view of the entire field.  It shows 
      where the ball is at any time.  There is a first-down marker and 
      a dot that marks the line of scrimmage.  If you can't see the 
      goal posts on the normal field and you are trying a fieldgoal, 
      you can watch that view to see whether the ball goes over the 
      bar.

      The playing area is divided into defensive zones. Figure 1 shows 
      these zones.

      The Rush zone is the offensive backfield zone.  All plays begin 
      in this zone.  Rushing defenders to get into it if the play is a 
      pass, a draw, or a kick. 

      The line zone is where the defensive linemen are.  There can be 
      from three to nine of them.  

      The linebacker zone is where the linebackers play.  You can have 
      from none to four linebackers.

      The safety zone is where the safeties are.  Again you can have 
      from none to four of them.

      If a ballcarrier is allowed through the line, linebacker, and 
      safety zones without being stopped, he is in the breakthrough 
      zone.  In that zone, Only the closest defender still has a chance 
      to catch him.


           Figure 1.     Defensive Zones on the Screen  

           Red on offense >>>>>                 <<<<< Blue on defense

          RUSH             LINE     LINEBACKER     SAFETY      BREAKTHRU 


           Red on defense >>>>>                 <<<<< Blue on offense 

            BREAKTHRU    SAFETY   LINEBACKER    LINE           RUSH       


                                     7
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 2    THE HIT RULES
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      The main idea of the game is that the more defenders are in the 
      zone that the ballcarrier is in, the better are the chances of 
      stopping him.   The hit rules of the game were designed to make 
      these chances be close to what they would be in a real game.  
      They govern tackling and blocking and things like fumbles, 
      interceptions, blocked kicks, and sacks.

      Tackling and blocking are done with the HIT buttons.  The HIT 
      buttons are the buttons on the joysticks or mice.  On the 
      keyboard, they are the left arrow on the right side and the A key 
      on the left.  The space bar can be used against the computer.


      WHEN YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HIT

      During the play, you will hear beeps.  At each beep, the computer 
      selects one defender in the zone that the ball is in.  This is 
      usually the defender closest to the ball when the ball first 
      enters the zone, then the next closest defender, and so on. the 
      computer then decides whether or not to give the selected 
      defender an OPPORTUNITY to make a hit.  That is, it gives you a 
      signal that tells you whether or not you are allowed to push the 
      HIT button.  (The computer makes this decision by rolling its 
      electronic dice.  But the probability of it coming up saying 
      "hit" depends on how many defenders are in the zone that the ball 
      is in or how close the ballcarrier is to the nearest defender.  
      We will learn more about that later.)  What is the signal that 
      the computer sends you?  The computer will put a colored box 
      around the selected defender.  If that box is the color of the 
      defense, you can hit. If it's some other color, you can't hit.  
      That rule applies to the player on offense as well as the player 
      on defense.  So if the red team is on defense, both players can 
      hit their HIT buttons only if a defender is put in a red box at a 
      beep.  If the blue team is on defense, they can hit only if the 
      defender gets a blue box.  If the player on defense pushes his 
      button first, it's a good hit.  If the player on offense hits his 
      button first, it's a block.  A player who pushes the button on 
      the wrong color gets a penalty.

      <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
      <                                                               <
      < From now on, we will call it an OPPORTUNITY when the computer <
      < puts a box of a color that you can hit on.                    <
      <                                                               <
      <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

      That is the hit rule in a nutshell.  Let's now cover it in more 
      detail and see how it applies to different situations.

                                     8
      HITS DURING A RUN

      This is how the hit rules apply when a ballcarrier is running on 
      the ground in the line zone, the linebacker zone, or the safety
      zone.

      The defense gets three chances in each zone to stop the 
      ballcarrier.  That is, there are three beeps in a zone as long as 
      the ballcarrier is not stopped.  At each beep, the computer 
      selects a defender, starting with the defender who is closest to 
      the path of the ballcarrier.  The computer controls the odds of 
      being able to make tackles by how it decides on whether to give 
      designated defenders opportunities to hit.  This decision is 
      different on the first beep in a zone than on the others.

      On the first beep in a zone, the computer rolls its electronic 
      dice to determine whether to give the first defender an 
      OPPORTUNITY.  It sets the odds that he will get one by how close 
      the ballcarrier is to the defender.  (Closeness is measured in 
      the vertical direction only no matter in which direction the 
      runner is going.  In other words, if the runner were running 
      straight down field, how close would he come to the defender? See 
      the illustration in Figure 2.)  If the runner is facing the 
      defender head-on, the chances of the computer giving the 
      designated defender an OPPORTUNITY 100 percent.  The chances drop 
      off as the distance to the defender gets bigger.

                   Q Q Q                      
                   0 0                                          
           0 0 0 0 0 0                          
         0 0 0 0 0 0 XXXXX        100%         
         0 0 0 0 0 0 XXXXX  <-------------- Center of Ballcarrier
         0 0 0 0 0 0 XXXXX                      
           0 0 0 0 0 0                        
                   0 0                                
                   Q Q Q                                       





                               0% in line zone
                            <-----------------
                                        


                               0% elsewhere
                            <------------------

           Figure 2.  Chances of getting an OPPORTUNITY at different 
                      distances from defender (on first beep in zone 
                      only)

                                     9            
      On the beeps after the first one in a zone, the computer again 
      rolls the electronic dice.  But this time it sets the odds of 
      giving an OPPORTUNITY by how many defenders there are in the 
      zone.  The more defenders there are, the better the chances of 
      him being given an opportunity.

      You can see that the odds of getting an OPPORTUNITY on any beep, 
      even the first one, improve with the number of defenders in the
      zone.

      Of course, a defender's getting an OPPORTUNITY doesn't stop the 
      ballcarrier.  It only means that he is eligible to hit.  It means 
      that the players are allowed to push their HIT buttons.  The 
      player on defense must then push his HIT button before the next 
      beep.  The player on offense can also push his HIT button and, if 
      he hits it first, can block the player on defense.  If the 
      defense can make a hit without being blocked, the progress of the 
      ballcarrier is stopped.  If the hit was made on any beep other 
      than the first beep in the zone, the play ends and there are no 
      more beeps.  If the hit was made on the first beep in the zone, 
      what happens next depends on the zone.

      If a successful hit is made on the first beep in the line zone, 
      the ballcarrier is stopped but not down.  He can no longer make a 
      gain.  He can only try to keep from being thrown for a loss. So 
      he keeps on probing the line.  The beeps continue for two more 
      beeps or until the player on defense cannot make a successful 
      hit. For each successful hit, the ballcarrier can be pushed 
      pushed back a little, depending on how fast the hit is made.  If 
      the defense can make three hits in a row, there is a fourth beep.  
      If the defense can make a successful hit on this beep also, the 
      ball is fumbled and recovered by the team on defense.

      If a successful hit is made on the first beep in the linebacker 
      or the safety zone, the ballcarrier is stopped.  The beeps 
      continue for three more beeps or until the defense fails to make 
      a successful hit.  On the third hit, the ball is knocked loose.  
      If the defense can make a fourth hit, the ball is recovered by 
      the team on defense.  Otherwise, the offense retains control.


      HITS DURING A PASS

      In a pass play, the ball is passed from the rush zone to the 
      reception zone.  The reception zone is the line zone on a screen 
      pass, the linebacker zone on a short pass, and the safety zone on 
      a long pass.  As the ball approaches the reception zone,  there 
      is a beep and the nearest defender is selected.  Just as in a 
      run, the computer rolls its electronic dice to determine whether 
      to give him an opportunity.  It sets the odds of him getting one 
      by how close to the defender the ball will come down.  (If the 
      left-right option is off so that you cannot move the defenders, 
      the odds are set by how many defenders are in the zone.)
                                    10
      If the defense gets an OPPORTUNITY, the HIT button can be pushed.  
      Again, the player on offense can push his hit button to block the 
      defense.

      If the defensive player's hit is successful, the pass is 
      incomplete.  The beeps will then continue for three more beeps or 
      until the defense cannot make a successful hit.  If the defense 
      can get hits on all four beeps, the pass is intercepted.  In that 
      case, the direction arrows change, the defenders are removed from 
      the field and replaced by the other team's defenders, and play 
      continues as a run with the intercepting team doing the running.

      If the defensive player cannot make a hit on the first beep in 
      the reception zone, the pass is complete.  In that case, the play 
      continues as a run.  The defense gets two more beeps in the zone 
      and the rules are those of the run.


      HITS IN THE BREAKTHROUGH ZONE

      If a ballcarrier can make it all the way through to the end of 
      the safety zone without being stopped or crossing the goal line, 
      he enters the breakthrough zone.  Only the nearest defender in 
      the safety zone still has a chance to catch him.  Until the 
      ballcarrier reaches the goal line, there will be beeps and the 
      nearest safety will be selected over and over.  The computer sets 
      the odds of his getting an OPPORTUNITY to one in six.  If the 
      player on defense can make a successful hit, the ballcarrier is 
      stopped and the play ends.


      HITS DURING A PASS RUSH

      During a pass rush, a number of defenders enter the rush zone in 
      pursuit of the passer.  The computer beeps and designates 
      defenders one at a time.  The odds of each defender getting an 
      OPPORTUNITY depend on how many rushers there are in the rush zone 
      (even on the first beep).

      When one of the defenders gets an OPPORTUNITY, the player on 
      defense can push his HIT button.  The player on offense can block 
      with his HIT button.  On a pass rush, a single successful hit 
      does not stop the passer.  It takes two hits to make a sack.  
      What's more, on a screen pass, the passer fades back only long 
      enough to get one beep before he throws the ball so that he 
      cannot be sacked.  On a short pass, the passer fades back for 
      only two beeps.  So the defense must make a successful hit on 
      each beep.  On a long pass, the passer fades back for three 
      beeps.  In that case, the defense gets three chances to make two 
      hits.  If the defense can make two successful hits during the 



                                    11
      rush, the passer is sacked.  If the defense can make hits on the 
      first two beeps, the computer continues to beep for two more 
      beeps or until the defense cannot make a successful hit.  If the 
      defense can make a hit on all four beeps, the passer is not only 
      sacked but fumbles and the ball is recovered by the team on 
      defense.

      By the way, you will see later that the player on offense can 
      change the direction of the pass during the fade-back to take 
      advantage of holes in the defense's coverage.  If the defense can 
      get even one hit during the pass rush, the offense can't continue 
      changing the direction and its aim could be spoiled.


      HITS WHEN RUSHING A KICK

      During the rush of a punter or fieldgoal kicker, a number of 
      defenders enter the rush zone.  The computer beeps and designates 
      defenders one at a time.  The odds of a defender getting an 
      OPPORTUNITY depend on how many rushers there are in the rush zone 
      (even on the first beep).

      When one of the defenders gets an OPPORTUNITY, the player on 
      defense can push his HIT button.  The player on offense can block 
      with his HIT button.  It takes four successful hits in a row to 
      block the kick.  The computer beeps three times and adds a fourth 
      beep if the defense can make hits on the first three.  If the 
      defense can get four successful hits, the kick is blocked and, 
      except for a point-after-touchdown attempt, is recovered by the 
      team on defense.


      SUMMARY



      Here is a summary of the hits required for various results.


          HITS    < ON THE GROUND >
           1           Tackle
           4           Fumble
                  < ON A PASS >
           1           Incomplete (on first beep in reception area)
           4           Interception
                  < ON A RUSH >
           1           Stop aiming of pass
           2           Sack 
           4           Sack and fumble
           4           Blocked kick



                                    12
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 3.   OPTIONS
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      You can make this game very easy or so hard that it's impossible 
      to play.  You decide how hard you want to make it by the computer 
      options you choose and the rules you play by.  In this chapter we 
      tell you what your options are and how to set them up.  One 
      option you have is whether to play against the computer or 
      against another human.  We'll first explain options useful in the 
      game against another human.



      AUTOMATIC SIGNAL CALLING

      By not selecting a defensive formation or an offensive play 
      before pushing the START button, you tell the computer to select 
      for you.  The computer also selects your play if you go through 
      the play menu without making a selection.  Either player can use 
      automatic play calling at any time if you elect to allow it.  The 
      plays that the computer selects are not the smart plays it would 
      select if it were playing against a human.  All it does on 
      defense is call the standard 533 defense with two linemen 
      rushing.  On offense, it selects a play at random from the 
      running and passing plays that are available.


      AUTOMATIC TACKLING

      You can set the computer to push the HIT button for the player on 
      defense.  


      GAME SPEED

      The speed of the game can be set to from 0 to 9 (9 being the 
      slowest).  The speed setting affects the running speed of the 
      ballcarrier, the speed of the ball in the air, the speed of the 
      defenders, and the time interval between beeps.  The setting does 
      not affect the game clock.


      THE HIT-SOUND OPTION

      If this option is on, the computer modifies its beeps by adding a 
      short beep an octave higher than the main beep if the computer is 
      giving you an OPPORTUNITY to hit.  This option makes the game 
      much easier to play because you don't have to watch for the color 
      of the defender.  You can use your ears and let your eyes watch 
      other things.  On the other hand, it removes much of the 
      challenge from the game.


                                    13
      PURSUIT

      With the pursuit option on, the defenders in the zone the 
      ballcarrier is in pursue him just as real players would.  With 
      pursuit off, defenders stay put.  That makes the game look less 
      realistic but for a beginner it might be less confusing because 
      there is less movement.  As far as the progress of the play is 
      concerned, it makes no difference whether pursuit is on or off.



      COMMENT:  Up to this point, without use of the options that we 
      will get to next, the game is strictly a game of probabilities.  
      That is, the players call the signals and start the play.  Except 
      for pushing the HIT button (if the automatic tackling option is 
      off), the computer runs the play.  Chances of stopping the 
      ballcarrier in any zone depend on how many defenders are in it.  
      This mode is also the easiest to play.  It tests only the 
      players' play calling skill.  The next group of options make the 
      players' reaction times a factor and add excitement to the game.  
      They allow players to shift the odds their way with their skill.  
      They also make it harder to play.  


      BLOCKING

      To use the blocking option, the players only have to agree that 
      blocking is to be allowed.  If the player on offense can push his 
      HIT button before the player on defense can hit his, the 
      defense's button is blocked and the defender on the field is 
      knocked down with the appropriate sound effect.  A legal block 
      can be made only if a defender has been given an OPPORTUNITY.  An 
      illegal block draws a penalty.


      BLOCK HANDICAP

      The block handicap is the amount of time by which the player on 
      offense must beat the player on defense to the HIT button in 
      order to block successfully.  (Actually, the interval is measured 
      in the number of steps that the ballcarrier or pass receiver 
      takes so that it is not always the same amount of time.)  The 
      block handicap can be set in the set-up mode to be between 0 and 
      3 steps.  If the setting is very low, a player with slow reflexes 
      would have no chance to ever make a tackle against a player with 
      fast reflexes.  A higher setting can reduce such an advantage.

      If both players are using the keyboard, the block handicap 
      setting has no effect.  In that case, the player who hits his HIT 
      button first wins.



                                    14
      If a human is playing against the computer, the block handicap 
      determines how long the computer waits to block and also to 
      tackle.  The higher the setting, the more chance the human has to 
      beat the computer to the punch on offense or on defense.


      AUTOMATIC BLOCKING

      You can set the computer to push the HIT button for the player on 
      offense.  The effect of this is that the defense would not have 
      the entire interval between beeps to push the HIT button, but 
      only a short blocking-time interval.  You cannot have both 
      automatic tackling and blocking.  The computer could develop a 
      nervous condition.


      LEFT-RIGHT MOTION

      Selecting this option gives both players the ability to move 
      things right or left.  The players can use right or left movement 
      of the joystick or mouse for this purpose.  With the joystick, 
      moving it right or left and returning it to the center is 
      equivalent to one push of a button of the keyboard.  With a 
      mouse, it's one short motion to the right or left without 
      returning it to its original position.  

      If the players are using the keyboard, the player on the right 
      can use the up and down arrows for right and left motion, 
      respectively.  The player on the left must use the Z and Q keys.

      The things that you can do with the right-left controls are 
      described below.


      Moving the defenders

      The player on defense can move the defenders right or left.  Only 
      defenders in the line, linebacker, or safety zones can be moved.  
      And only the defenders in one of these zones will move.  When the 
      ball is being run on the ground, the defenders that move are the 
      ones in the zone into which a ballcarrier will run next.  If the 
      ball is in the air in a pass play, the defenders that move are 
      the ones in the reception zone.  (The reason why defenders stop 
      moving when the ball enters a zone is that it no longer matters 
      how close defenders are to the ball.  That only matters before 
      the first beep in a zone.  The player on defense needs to move 
      the defenders in the next zone into position for the first beep.)  
      The player can begin the movement of defenders when a runner has 
      started to run with the ball or when a pass is in the air. 

      (If this option is not on, the computer gives "opportunities" to 
      pass defenders based on how many defenders are in the reception 
      zone rather than how close they are to where the ball will land.)
                                    15
      An example of how the controls work:  Pushing the defensive R 
      control starts the defenders moving to the right.  Pushing the R 
      control again makes them move faster.  The control can be pushed 
      three times for maximum speed.  After that it has no affect. 
      Exceptions to the rule are the pass defenders when the pass is in 
      the air and linemen before a ballcarrier turns toward the line. 
      In those cases, defenders move at only one speed. Once the 
      defenders are moving to the right, pushing the L control stops 
      their movement. Pushing L again, starts them moving to the left.  
      When moving defenders reach a sideline, they don't go out of 
      bounds.  They merely bunch up.

      There is a drawback to using this option if the ball is being run 
      on the ground.  It diverts some of your attention from tackling.  
      You are moving the defenders in the next zone into the path of 
      the runner while you want to be watching for chances to make hits 
      in the zone that the runner is in.


      Moving the ballcarrier

      When the ball is being carried on the ground, the offense's right 
      and left motion can be used to change the ballcarrier's direction 
      in order to try to avoid defenders.  For example, pushing right 
      causes him to veer to the right.  Each push of right makes the 
      angle greater.  After three pushes, the control has no more 
      affect.  Pushing left causes the runner to go straight down-field 
      again. Another push left makes him veer to the left.  You have to 
      be careful near the sidelines.  A ballcarrier can be made to run 
      out of bounds.  

      Left/right motion of the ballcarrier can be begun even before he 
      turns toward the line but not until he gets to about the position 
      of the tackle in the line.  With these controls you can change 
      the area that he was supposed to attack.  But if you make him go 
      faster toward the sidelines, you could run him out of bounds. (If 
      his motion is not controlled, he will not go out of bounds.)

      The drawback of using this option is that it diverts some of your 
      attention from blocking.  You are moving the runner to avoid the 
      defenders in the next zone while trying to block tackles in the 
      zone you are in.


      Changing the pass

      While the passer if fading back, the player on offense can use 
      the right and left controls to change the reception area.  (There 
      are ten reception areas in a zone.  They are numbered from 0 at 
      the top of the field to 9 at the bottom.  During signal calling, 
      the player on offense should designate one of these reception 
      areas when he calls for a pass play.)  Each left or right push 

                                    16
      moves the reception area to the next area.  The controls work 
      only while the passer is fading back.  When the ball is thrown, 
      it is too late.  Be careful.  You can throw the pass out of 
      bounds if you push too often.  The controls also work only as 
      long as no rushing defender has made a successful hit.  After 
      that, they have no effect.

      CAUTION:  You can begin re-directing the pass as soon as the ball 
      is snapped.  But there is a very short time interval after the 
      quarterback's first steps back (4 yards) and before the start of 
      his fade-back when the computer can miss a mouse movement.  
      Solutions: 1. Don't worry and take a chance  2. Try not to move 
      the mouse at that time.  3. Use the keyboard for re-directing 
      passes.

      Here is an example.  You are the red team, going from left to 
      right.  You have the ball and you called for a short pass to area 
      4.  You see that the left linebacker is blitzing and leaving a 
      big hole at the bottom of the playing area.  So you quickly push 
      right 5 times as you say to yourself, "5, 6, 7, 8, 9".  The pass 
      goes to your right sideline (area 9).  The defense doesn't have a 
      chance. (If you had counted wrong and pushed right six times, you 
      would have passed out of bounds.)  Another good reason for using 
      this option is that the passer fades back in the direction of the 
      original passing zone so that the pass tends to go straight down-
      field.  Changing the passing zone during fade-back makes the pass 
      slant.  It's much harder for the defense to line a defender up 
      with a slanting pass.

      The drawback of using this option is that it diverts some of your 
      attention from trying to block any defenders that are rushing.  
      (A good reason why the defense should often have some kind of 
      pass rush.  If there are no rushing defenders, the player on 
      offense can focus all of his attention on picking the best spot 
      to pass to.  Of course, if you rush too much, you leave yourself 
      open to the draw play or screen pass.)


      PLAYING AGAINST THE COMPUTER

      Another option is to let the computer be your opponent.  This is 
      a good way to practice the game.  The computer always plays the 
      red team.  It always uses the blocking option and the left-right 
      motion option.  The computer doesn't cheat.  It calls its plays 
      without looking at your play call.  But it does re-direct its 
      passes to take advantage of any holes in your defense just as a 
      good human player would.  The computer always kicks on fourth 
      down.  The space bar can be used as another HIT button.

      When playing against the computer, the block handicap setting 
      sets the delay before the computer blocks or tackles.  The bigger 
      the handicap the easier it is for the human player to beat the 
      computer to the punch on both offense and defense.
                                    17

      HOW TO CHANGE OPTIONS

      At the beginning of the game, you are taken through the set-up 
      procedure that lets you set the options.  If you want to make 
      changes during the game, you can call up the set-up procedure by 
      pushing X on the keyboard or by selecting the "Special" menu 
      before calling a play.  This menu lets you either call time out 
      or get the set-up mode.  When you are in the set-up mode, just 
      follow the instructions on the screen.

      Whatever options you have set up will automatically be saved when 
      you quit the game program so that, the next time you start the 
      program, it will start with the same settings.


      The Computer Speed Test 

      One of the things that the set-up mode lets you do is order a 
      computer speed test to be done.  So an explanation of that test 
      is in order.  

      Computers run at all kinds of speeds so that a careful adjustment 
      must be made to make sure that the game always runs at the 
      correct speed.  The first time you run either DEFENSE or 
      PRACTICE, the program tests the computer's speed (which takes 
      about a minute) so that the speed adjustment can be made.  The 
      result is saved in the file SETTINGS.DEF or .PRA, respectively, 
      along with the other game settings.  So, after the first running, 
      the test does not have to be done again.  But the set-up mode 
      gives you a chance to order the test done.  You should do that 
      whenever you first run the program on a new computer (if the 
      computer doesn't do it by itself) or if you change your 
      computer's speed.  Doing this test will automatically restart the
      game.

      There are so many differences in computers that it is possible 
      that the speed test still doesn't give you the speeds you want.  
      That is, the game speed settings you can make in the set-up mode 
      don't give you a fast enough or slow enough speed.  There is one 
      other adjustment you can make.  When you do the speed test, note 
      the computer-speed-number the computer writes in the lower left 
      corner of the screen when it is finished.  That is the number 
      that is recorded in the SETTINGS file and controls the speed of 
      the game.  You can change this number by quitting the game and 
      starting it again.  Only this time, instead of starting it by 
      entering DEFENSE (or PRACTICE), enter DEFENSE (or PRACTICE) 
      followed by a space and then a new speed number.  If you want to 
      speed up the game, type a smaller number than you got from the 
      speed test.  If you want to slow it down, type a larger number.  
      You might have to experiment a little.  Once you have run the 
      game with a new speed number, the new number will be recorded in 
      the SETTINGS file so that you have to make the change only once.
                                    18
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 4.   DEFENSIVE SIGNAL CALLING
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      The player on defense must call defensive signals before every 
      play except a kickoff.  A joystick or mouse can be used to select 
      a formation from the menu on the screen.  Keyboard keys can also 
      be used for that purpose.  The player can also use the keyboard 
      to make up a formation that isn't on the menu.  Pushing the HIT 
      button or the ENTER (or RETURN) key on the keyboard tells the 
      computer that the signals have been entered.  If one of these 
      keys is pushed without first entering signals, the computer will 
      put in a 533 formation with two linemen rushing.  A delay-of-game 
      penalty is called if signals aren't called in 30 seconds.

      You will be able to pick most any formation that you might want 
      from the menu.  But in order to understand the defensive signals 
      and to be able to enter formations that aren't on the menu if you 
      should ever want to do that, you should read the next three 
      sections that tell you how to enter defensive signals with the 
      keyboard. 

      First you should decide on whether or not you want to call for a 
      pass rush (or kick rush).


      IF YOU WANT NO RUSH

      If you don't plan to rush, all you need to do is enter your 
      defensive formation.  You must enter three numbers.  They 
      represent the number of linemen, linebackers, and safeties, in 
      that order.  But there are limits to how many players you can 
      have in the zones.  (The computer doesn't let you enter numbers 
      outside the limits)  Here are the limits:

              Number of defenders allowed in the zones

              Line zone           3 to 9 defenders
              Linebackers         0 to 4 defenders
              Safety zone         0 to 4 defenders

      So, if you enter 632, you will have six linemen, three 
      linebackers, and two safeties on the field.  That adds up to 
      eleven.  You get only one chance.  There is no way to erase a 
      number once you have entered it.  If you don't enter enough men, 
      you penalize yourself.  If you enter too many, the referee will 
      penalize you five yards.

      If an opponent always attacks the same area of the line, you can 
      shift the linemen into that area.  Entering L, R, or M before the 



                                    19
      number of linemen shifts them left, right, or toward the middle.  
      For example, entering M632 will give you the 632 formation with 
      the linemen shifted toward the middle.

      You can still change your mind and call for a rush but if you 
      still want to do without one, push the HIT or ENTER button to let 
      the computer know that you have finished.


      IF YOU WANT A RUSH

      If you want a pass rush, things are a little more complicated.  
      First you must enter your defensive formation just as you would 
      for no rush.  But you can, if you want to, precede any of these 
      numbers with a letter-button R, L, or M.  If you enter an R 
      before the number, the formation will appear on the screen 
      shifted to the right.  An L gives you a shift to the left.  If 
      you enter an M, the formation will be shifted toward the middle.  
      The main reason for this option is that it lets you blitz 
      linebackers and safeties without leaving big holes that the 
      offense can pass into.  For example, suppose you want to blitz 
      the middle linebacker and the right safety in a 434 formation.  
      Instead of entering 4 3 4, you could enter 4 M3 R4.  Your 
      defensive formations would then be more evenly spread after the 
      blitzing defenders leave.

      After your formation is entered, you can set up your rush.  


      RUSHING LINEMEN

      Pushing the B key (for "Blitz") or any function key tells the 
      computer that linemen are to rush if the play is a pass.  Only 
      some of the linemen penetrate the offensive line. The number of 
      linemen who penetrate depends on the total number of defensive 
      linemen. Once you pick the number of linemen, you have no more 
      control over how many will penetrate and which ones they will be.  
      The computer decides.


             Rushing linemen who will penetrate the line
                       if a rush is called.
        
                    3-man line   1
                    4-man line   1
                    5-man line   2      Note: The linemen who penetrate
                    6-man line   2            are selected randomly
                    7-man line   3            by the computer.
                    8-man line   3
                    9-man line   4



                                    20
      Next you can call for linebackers to blitz.  You can blitz with 
      any or all of the linebackers.  Whereas you have no control over 
      which of your linemen will get through into the rush zone, you do 
      control which backs do the blitzing.  You designate any 
      linebacker with his number counting from the top of the field and 
      enter his number if you want him to blitz.  For example, if you 
      want the top two linebackers in your 434 formation to blitz, you 
      would enter 1 2.  If you wanted just the bottom linebacker to 
      blitz, you would enter 3.

      Next you can call for safeties to blitz by pushing the B or a 
      function key a second time.  Blitzing safeties are then 
      designated the same way as linebackers are.

      When you have finished, push the HIT or ENTER button.  The 
      selected defensive formation does not appear on the screen until 
      both players have pushed their HIT or ENTER buttons.  The play 
      begins when the player on offense pushes his HIT or ENTER button 
      again.

      When the play begins, blitzing linebackers and safeties move up 
      to the line.  If the play turns out to be a run, they will become 
      linemen and no defenders penetrate the line to get into the rush 
      zone.  If the play turns out to be a pass or a kick, blitzing 
      backs and the rushing linemen penetrate into the rush zone and 
      can make hits.  If the play is a draw, blitzing backs and rushing 
      linemen penetrate the line but, because the play is a run, have 
      no chance to make hits.

      If you just push the HIT or ENTER button without first entering 
      your signals, the computer will call the standard 533B defense 
      for you.  But first you should get you opponent to agree to allow
      that.

      Here are some examples of defensive signals that the Blue team 
      (defending the right goal line) might call.


                 A 533 formation with no rush
                                5 3 3 HIT (or ENTER)
        
                 A 443 formation with one lineman rushing
                                4 4 3 B HIT (or ENTER) 

                 A 920 formation with five linemen rushing 
                                9 2   B  HIT (or ENTER) 

                 A 443 formation, one lineman and bottom 
                 linebacker blitzing 
                                4 4 3 B 4  HIT (or ENTER)



                                    21
                 A 443 formation, one lineman and bottom 
                 linebacker blitzing (will leave smaller hole)
                                4 L4 3 B 4  HIT (or ENTER)

                 A 344 formation, one lineman and both outside
                 safeties blitzing
                                3 4 4 B B 1 4  HIT (or ENTER)

                 A 533 formation, two linemen, middle linebacker,
                 and middle safety blitzing
                                5 3 3 B 2 B 2  HIT (or ENTER)

                 A 533 formation, two linemen, middle linebacker,
                 and middle safety blitzing (leaves smaller holes)
                                5 M3 M3 B 2 B 2  HIT (or ENTER)

                 A 920 formation, five linemen and both linebackers     
                 rushing 
                                9 2 0 B 1 2  HIT (or ENTER)

                 Maximum rush. One lineman and all backs blitzing
                                3 4 4 B 1 2 3 4 B 1 2 3 4  HIT (or ENTER)


      THE DEFENSIVE MENU

      Using the defensive menu is easier than using the keyboard.  The 
      menu has three sub-menus (the special menu, the color menu, and 
      the play menu).  Push right on the joystick or mouse to move from 
      one of these sub-menus to the next.  Or use the right arrow or 
      the S key on the keyboard.  We will call that "pushing RIGHT".  
      You can only go right.  You can't go back.

      The special menu

      The special menu has two items - Time, and Set-up.  Time stops 
      the game clock and Set-up puts you into the set-up mode.  Push 
      down on the joystick or mouse to use this menu.  Or use the down 
      arrow or the Z key on the keyboard.  Since you have to go through 
      Time to get to Set-up, time-out is automatically called if you 
      select the set-up mode.


      The color menu

      To prevent your opponent from reading your signals, the game 
      provides you with ten colored pointers to your menus.  You can 
      decide which color to use for your real pointer.  The others are 
      dummies.  When the game begins, the white pointer is the real 
      one.  You can use the color menu at any time to select a 



                                    22
      different color.  Use the up or down motions of the joystick or 
      mouse to move the pointers up or down.  Or use the up and down 
      arrows or the A and Z keys of the keyboard.  We will call that 
      "pushing DOWN" or "pushing UP".  Whichever pointer is on top - 
      opposite the single black pointer - when you quit the color menu 
      will be your real pointer until you change it again.  Of course, 
      you should make your opponent look away when you do this.


      The play menu

      The defensive play menu gives you a list of twenty defensive 
      formations to choose from.  You see them ten at a time.  Every 
      time you move the pointers ten times in either direction, you get 
      to see five other formations.  An example of a formation is

                      4R4L3B1B3   632 3<332

      On the left, you see the formation as you would enter it if you 
      were using the keyboard (except that arrows and diamonds replace 
      the R, L, and M keys that you would use to shift the formations 
      right, left, or center).  In this example, you are calling a 443 
      formation with one linebacker and one safety blitzing.  The 
      linebackers and safeties are shifted so that the blitzing backs 
      won't leave big holes.  The middle column shows where the 
      defenders will be if the play turns out to be a run.  That is, 
      all blitzing backs will be in the line.  In the example, you will 
      have six in the line, three linebackers, and two safeties.  The 
      column on the right shows what will happen if the play is a pass 
      or a kick.  In the example, three defenders will be rushing and 
      you will have three in the line, three linebackers, and two 
      safeties.  You will probably ignore the left column and use only 
      the two columns on the right to make your decision.  To select a 
      defense, move your pointer to it and push RIGHT again.

      If you select a formation with no safeties for a punt, there will
      be no runback.  You will get the ball where it stops.

      If you push RIGHT without ever pushing DOWN and getting the 
      pointers, you will get the default formation which is a 533 with 
      two linemen rushing.  You will also get the default formation if 
      you push ENTER before you finish the menu selection.











                                    23






      The entire menu of defensive formations is shown below.  Because 
      we can't make arrows here, L, R, and M are used in place of 
      arrows and diamonds (which is strictly correct only if the blue 
      team is on defense).




               FORMATION 	 RUN	 PASS
        					_
               3 4 4		 344	  344
               3 4 4B   	 344	1<244
               4 3 4B    	 434	1<334
               4 4 3B    	 443	1<343
               5 3 3    	 533	  533   _
               5 3 3B      	 533 	2<333
               3R4L4B1B4   	 533 	3<233
               6 3 2       	 632   	  632
               3M4R4B23B1  	 623 	4<223
               3L4R4B4B13  	 632 	4<232   _
               7 2 2     	 722   	  722
               4M3M4B2B14  	 722 	4<322
               3R4L4B13B24 	 722 	5<222   Good against punt
               8 2 1      	 821   	  821
               7 2R2BB1    	 821 	4<421   _
               7 4  B      	 740 	3<440 	For inside 8 yardline
               8 3         	 830	  830	For inside 8 yardline
               9 2  B      	 920 	4<520	For inside 8 yardline
               9 2  B12 	1100	6<500	For fieldgoal rush
               7 4  B1234 	1100 	7<400	For fieldgoal rush_

















                                    24
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 5.   OFFENSIVE SIGNAL CALLING
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      The screen will tell you when you should call your next offensive 
      play.  The player on offense has to do that before every play 
      except a normal kickoff. If time is in, you have to be finished 
      before the 30-second clock times out.  In  this chapter we tell 
      you how to call plays.  In a later chapter, you will learn about 
      the plays. 

      Calling offensive signals from the keyboard is a matter of 
      entering two numbers.  If you use the numeric keys and not the 
      menu and you are playing against a human, you MUST WAIT UNTIL THE 
      PLAYER OF DEFENSE HAS FINISHED CALLING SIGNALS.

      The first number selects the play.  You have nine plays to choose 
      from.  They are numbered from 1 to 9 as shown in the table below.

                         THE OFFENSIVE PLAYS

                           1 - run             
                           2 - draw            
                           3 - screen pass     
                           4 - short pass      
                           5 - long pass       
                           6 - fieldgoal kick  
                           7 - punt            
                           8 - kickoff*        
                           9 - on-side kick      
                                         

                     * kickoff play is automatically
                           set by the computer 

      You do not have to enter the play on a kickoff.  The computer 
      does it for you.  

      The second number you enter designates a target area.  Imagine 
      the field divided into ten equal horizontal strips or target 
      areas as shown in Figure 3.  They are numbered from 0 at the top 
      of the field to 9 on the bottom.  You need not enter a target 
      area if the play is a kick of any kind.  If you do, the computer 
      will ignore it anyway.  If you forget to select a target area on 
      a run or pass play, the computer will select one for you.  After 
      you have pushed one or two numbers, push the HIT or ENTER button.  
      If you push the HIT or ENTER button without entering a number, 
      the computer will select a running or passing play at random.





                                    25

      Using the menu is just as easy except that you don't need to wait 
      until the defensive signals have been called.  Just move your 
      pointer to the play that you want.  Then push RIGHT.  Pointers 
      will then appear by the list of target areas.  Select one of them 
      and push RIGHT again.

      When a player has finished entering signals the word DONE appears 
      on the appropriate menu.  When both players are done, the 
      formations appear on the screen.  The play begins when the player 
      on offense pushes the HIT or ENTER button again.

      Your selection is not final until you push the RIGHT control and 
      get the "DONE" message on the screen or the menu disappears.  
      Likewise, if you use the keyboard to call signals, the choice is 
      not final until you push the RETURN (ENTER) key.  That means 
      that, if you entered a play and realize that you made a mistake 
      and can't go back and fix it, you can stop and switch to the 
      other method of calling signals.  This works only on offensive 
      signals. 


   
         FIGURE 3    The target areas  


                ____________________________________
             0  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
             1  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
             2  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
             3  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
             4  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
             5  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
             6  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
             7  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
             8  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
             9  _____________________________________
        














                                    26
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 6.   THE PLAY
      -----------------------------------------------------------------


      STARTING THE PLAY

      When both the offensive and defensive players have entered their 
      play signals, the defensive formation appears on the field.  Play 
      begins when the player on offense pushes the HIT button.  If the 
      clock is running, players have thirty seconds from the end of the 
      last play to start the next one.  (There is a 30-second clock 
      that runs between plays when time is in.)  If the 30-second clock 
      runs out, a "delay of game" penalty is called on the player who 
      didn't get his signals entered.  If both players let the clock 
      run out, time-out is called and no one gets a penalty.

      Either player can stop the game clock by calling a time-out with 
      the T key on the keyboard or by selecting TIME on the "Special" 
      menu.  Players must keep track of the number of time-outs called.  
      Each player gets three per half.  Additional free time-outs can 
      be called by mutual consent of both players.

      Beginning the play starts the ball moving on the field and the 
      bottom-display.  The yardline and gain displays also keep track 
      of the ball location.  The gain display shows gains as positive 
      numbers and losses as negative ones.


      THE RUNNING PLAY (play 1)  

      At the start of a running play, the quarterback runs backward 
      about four yards, then hands the ball off the a running back who 
      runs sideways toward the target area. At that point, the 
      defenders can be moved right or left to intercept him.  The 
      offense can start using right/left motion when he gets to the 
      position of the offensive tackle.  When he gets to the target 
      area, he turns down-field and runs toward the line.  At that 
      time, the player on offense should start to use right/left 
      motion.  Remember, the chances of being hit when he gets to the 
      line get smaller the farther away he is from a defender.

      At the same time, the defenders in the zone that the ballcarrier 
      will be entering next (in this case, the line) can be moved 
      sideways by right/left controls of the player on defense.

      When the ballcarrier gets to the line, a beep is heard and the 
      defender nearest the path of the ballcarrier gets a box of some 
      color.  If it is the color of the defense, the player on defense 
      has the OPPORTUNITY to push his HIT button to try to stop the 
      progress of the ball.


                                    27
      If the player gets a hit, the ballcarrier's progress is stopped.  
      But if player on offensive is able to push his HIT button first, 
      the defender is blocked and the ballcarrier continues to run.  If 
      either player pushes the HIT button on the wrong color, a yellow 
      flag appears and a referee who points to the offending side.  In 
      that case, play goes on and a penalty will be called when the 
      play is over.  If neither player pushes a HIT button, the 
      ballcarrier just goes on until the next beep is heard.

      When the second beep is heard, the next nearest defender to the 
      path of the ballcarrier gets a color.  This time, the 
      probability of his getting the OPPORTUNITY to hit depends only on 
      how many defenders there are in the line zone.  Again, the 
      players can use their HIT buttons according to the hit rules.

      If the ballcarrier is not stopped at the second beep, there is a 
      third beep and the next nearest defender gets a chance.  Again, 
      the chances of him getting an OPPORTUNITY depend on the number of 
      defenders in the line zone.

      In the line, the ballcarrier advances two yards between beeps.  
      While the ballcarrier is running through the line, the player on 
      defense can move the linebackers sideways with the right/left 
      controls in case the runner makes it through the line. 

      If the ballcarrier gets through the line (three beeps) without 
      being stopped, he enters the zone of the linebackers. Here, the 
      action is similar to that in the line.  Again there are three 
      beeps.  On the first beep, the chances of the closest defender 
      getting an OPPORTUNITY depend on how close he is to the 
      ballcarrier.  On the other two beeps the chances depend on how 
      many linebackers there are.  The number of yards gained by the 
      ballcarrier between beeps is three yards in this zone.

      If the ballcarrier makes it through the linebacker zone, the 
      same process is repeated in the zone of the safeties except that 
      the ballcarrier makes five yards between beeps.  If he makes it 
      through that zone, only the closest safety continues to chase him 
      until the goal line is reached.  During that chase, periodic 
      beeps are heard. The chasing defender has only a low probability 
      (1 in 6) of getting an OPPORTUNITY. The runner makes six yards 
      each beep in this zone.

      If the player on defense has put no defenders in one of the 
      zones, there will be no beeps.  The ballcarrier can cross that 
      zone with no chance of being stopped.  If it is the safety zone 
      that has no defenders in it, there are no beeps in the 
      breakthrough zone either.  That is, there is no defender left to 
      chase him to the goal line if he gets through the safety zone.

      If the ballcarrier reaches the goal line at some earlier point 
      in this process, play is, of course, halted and a score is 
      recorded with appropriate sound effects.
                                    28
      So you can see that the probability of getting a chance to stop 
      the ballcarrier in any zone depends on how many defenders the 
      player on defense has put into the zone.  Whether he can 
      capitalize on an OPPORTUNITY and actually make a hit depends on 
      his reflexes and those of the other player.

      In addition to the basic scheme we have just described, the 
      defense can get other bonuses.
  
      If a hit can be made on the very first beep when the ball first 
      enters the line zone, forward progress is stopped at the line, 
      but the runner still tries to find a hole.  For each additional 
      hit that can be made in succession, the ballcarrier goes back a 
      yard or two.  If the defense cannot make a hit on one of these 
      beeps, the ballcarrier is down and the play ends with no gain or 
      with a loss.  If three hits in a row are made, the computer gives 
      the defense a fourth beep.  If the defense can make that hit too, 
      the ball is fumbled and recovered by the defense.  Otherwise, 
      play stops when no hit is made after a beep.

      In any zone other than the line, the defense is also given a 
      chance to cause a fumble if a hit can be made on the first beep 
      in the zone. After the defense makes the hit, ball movement is 
      stopped but beeps continue.  As long as defenders keep getting 
      opportunities and the player on defense makes hits without being 
      blocked, the beeps continue up to four.  That is, if the defense 
      can make four successive hits, the runner fumbles and the defense 
      recovers.   When the play finally ends, the runner is down and a 
      whistle is heard.

      Here is a table that shows how many yards the ballcarrier makes 
      between beeps in the different zones.


                 Yards Gained Between Beeps
 
                     line zone	        2
                     linebacker zone	3
                     safety zone	5
                     breakthru zone	6



      THE PASS PLAY  (play 3,4 or 5)

      When a pass begins, the ballcarrier (quarterback) again goes 
      back about four yards.  Then he fades backwards and sideways in 
      the direction of the target zone.  At the same time, defenders 
      that have been picked to rush the passer move across the line of 




                                    29
      scrimmage and follow the passer.  Beeps are heard, as in the 
      running play.  After each beep, a rushing defender turns a color.  
      The probability of his getting getting an OPPORTUNITY to hit 
      depends on the number of rushing defenders.  If he gets an 
      OPPORTUNITY, the player on defense may push the HIT button and 
      the player on offense may hit his HIT button to attempt to block. 
      But the ballcarrier is not stopped by a first hit.  It takes two 
      hits to sack the quarterback.  (The first hit does stop the 
      player on offense from changing the target zone.) 

      What's more, the quarterback passes the ball after only one beep 
      if the play is a screen pass.  For a short pass, the quarterback 
      fades back for two beeps.  For a long pass, he takes three beeps.  
      That is, the defense has no chance to sack if the play is a 
      screen pass, only two chances on a short pass , and three chances 
      to make two hits on a long pass.  If the defense can make three 
      hits in succession they are given one extra chance.  If four hits 
      can be made in succession, not only is it a sack, but also a 
      fumble recovered by the defense.

      During the fadeback for a pass, the player on offense can change 
      the target zone.  Each move of the right/left controls raises or 
      lowers the target zone by one.  It is possible in this way to 
      pass the ball out of bounds.

      HINT: It is easier for the player on defense to move a defender 
      directly into  line with a long pass if the pass goes straight 
      down field, as it is likely to go if the target area is not 
      changed during the fadeback.  Changing the target area during the 
      fadeback not only allows the offense to pick a reception point 
      that is far from a defender but makes makes the pass slant across 
      the field and makes defense more difficult.

      When the ball is thrown, a ball appears on the screen and moves 
      to the target area.  During the flight of the ball, the player on 
      defense can move the defenders in the reception zone left or 
      right with the left/right controls.  (The computer knows which is 
      the reception zone and moves the correct defenders.)  The 
      reception zone for a screen pass is always the line zone  (about 
      one yard from scrimmage).  A short pass goes to the linebacker 
      zone (about eight yards from scrimmage). A long pass goes to the 
      safety zone (about eighteen yards from scrimmage).

      When the ball approaches the reception zone, the closest defender 
      in that zone is selected.  The probability of his getting the 
      OPPORTUNITY to hit depends on how close the defender is, 
      vertically, to the destination of the ball.  If the defender gets 
      an opportunity and the player on defense pushes the HIT button 
      without being blocked, the pass is incomplete.  Otherwise, the 
      pass is complete, the ballcarrier appears where the ball lands, and 
      begins running down field.  Play continues from that point as a 
      running play.

                                    30
      The game also allows for interceptions.  If the pass is 
      incomplete (by virtue of a hit on the first beep in the reception 
      zone), beeping continues for up to three more beeps.  If the 
      defense can get three more hits in succession, the ball is 
      intercepted and a running play starts in the opposite direction 
      with the other team's defenders now appearing on the field.  If 
      the interception is in the endzone, it's an automatic touchback 
      and the intercepting team gets the ball on the 20.

      Below is a table that shows the lengths (in yards from the line 
      of scrimmage) of the different kinds of passes.  These are the 
      minimum gains that can be made if the passes are completed.

               PASS          YARDS FROM LOS

              Screen               1
              Short                8
              Long                18

      If the passing team is any closer to the goal line than the other 
      team's 8-yard line, a long pass will go over the end of the 
      endzone.  If you are on defense, this also means that you don't 
      need to have any safeties at all if the ball is closer than the 
      8.  In fact, you would be wasting defenders if you left them back 
      there.

      If the passing team is closer than the 5-yard line to their own 
      goal line, the passer will go out of the endzone if a long pass 
      is attempted.


      DRAW PLAY (play 2)

      A draw play is a running play in which the defenders that were 
      picked to rush are purposely allowed to penetrate the line of 
      scrimmage, but have no chance to hit the ballcarrier because 
      there is no fadeback.

      If the offense calls this play and the defense is not rushing, 
      the statistical formula that decides whether to give an 
      OPPORTUNITY adjusts the probability in favor of the defense (as 
      if there were two more defenders in the line than there really 
      are).  If it were not for this penalty, the player on offense 
      would be tempted to use a draw play in place of every running 
      play instead on only when he expects a heavy pass rush.

      So if this play is called in anticipation of a heavy pass rush 
      and there is a rush, the play should make good yardage. But if 
      there is no rush, the chances of making a gain are smaller than 
      they would have been on an ordinary running play.



                                    31
      FIELDGOAL ATTEMPT  (play 6)

      A fieldgoal attempt begins like a pass except that the ball goes 
      straight back for 9 yards. Rushers are allowed to cross the line 
      of scrimmage and given chances to make hits.  Four successive 
      hits must be made in order to make a block. A blocked kick is 
      always recovered by the defense at the point where it is blocked. 

      When the kick is made, the small ball on the bottom-display flies 
      toward a goal post.  If the ball clears the crossbar, the kick is 
      good.  If the line of scrimmage is close enough for the goal 
      posts to be seen on the screen, you can also tell by watching the 
      ball on the field whether the kick is good.  The processor sets 
      the probability of a successful attempt depending on the distance 
      to the goal posts.  The probability is 95 percent if the line of 
      scrimmage is the three yardline and zero at the fifty yardline.  
      The defense is not penalized for a heavy rush, as it is on a 
      punt.  The only reason for caution is that the offense might do a 
      draw or a screen pass play (fake kick) if they expect a maximum 
      rush. 


      Conversion
 
      After a touchdown, the scoring team can try for a conversion from 
      the three-yardline.  The normal way is to do a fieldgoal attempt 
      for one point (point-after-touchdown).  The team can also try for 
      two points by doing a running or passing play. 


      PUNT  (play 7)

      A punt begins like a fieldgoal attempt.  The ball goes back about 
      10 yards while rushing defenders are allowed to penetrate the 
      line and are given chances to hit.  If four successive hits can 
      be made by the defense, the kick is blocked and recovered by the 
      defense.  If not, the little ball kicked and can be watched best 
      on the bottom display.  If not a touchback, the kick is turned 
      into a running play for the receiving team when it lands.

      In a real game, if the receiving team rushes with more defenders 
      to try to block the kick, there will be fewer of them to block 
      for the receiver.  This is simulated in this game by placing the 
      new defenders on the field by turning around the receiving team's 
      defensive formation.  Linemen and blitzing backs will then be in 
      the zone closest to the receiver when the runback begins.  (If 
      the receiving team does not intend to try for a block, they will 
      have a better chance for a long runback by putting fewer men on 
      the line.)



                                    32
      The distance of a punt is randomly chosen by the processor 
      between 30 and 50 yards from scrimmage.  If the kick lands more 
      than about two yards into the endzone, it automatically becomes a 
      touchback and is placed on the 20 yardline.  

      If there is a runback, defenders are placed on the field by the 
      processor in three zones that the ballcarrier must run through 
      just as in a running play.

      If the defense has no safeties at all, there is no one to catch 
      the ball and the receiving team get the ball where it lands.



      KICKOFF  (play 8)

      A kickoff is also seen best on the bottom-display. The processor 
      places the ball on the 35 yardline and automatically calls the 
      defensive formation and the kickoff play.  The player on offense 
      need only push the START button. (If he enters any play other 
      than a kickoff or a short kick, a penalty will be called.)  The 
      ball then flies toward the other team's goal.  If the ball lands 
      more that about two yards inside the endzone, it is automatically 
      a touchback. If not a touchback, the kick is turned into a 
      running play for the receiving team when it lands.  The length of 
      the kick is randomly selected by the processor between 55 and 75 
      yards.

      If there is a runback, defenders are placed on the field by the 
      processor in a 5,3,3 arrangement, so that the ballcarrier must 
      run through zones of 5,3, and 3 defenders.  Except at the first 
      beep in a zone, when the proximity to the nearest defender 
      counts, the chances of getting an OPPORTUNITY are 50% in all 
      zones.  (That's true for all run-backs.)  Both players can use 
      right/left controls to move the ballcarrier and the defenders.


      ON-SIDE KICK  (play 9)

      Normally, the player who is kicking off does not have to enter a 
      play selection for a kickoff.  But if he enters a 9 before he 
      pushes the start button, the kick will be a short kick.  Such a 
      kickoff travels about 15 yards.  Nine defenders will appear in 
      the first zone into which the receiver must run. The kicking 
      team's chances for getting the ball back by getting four hits in 
      a row and causing a fumble are about 12 percent. Watch out!  The 
      first beep comes very quickly. 










                                    33


      SCORING

      Points are scored in this game just as in a real game.  Here are 
      the ways to score.



         o Touchdown  (6 points). The ball is carried or passed into 
      the defense's endzone.  A fumble or blocked punt is recovered in 
      the offensive team's endzone by the defense. 

         o PAT (point after touchdown) (1 point).  The team that scored 
      a touchdown place-kicks the ball over the goalpost from the three 
      yardline. 

         o Two-point conversion  (2 points).  The team that scored a 
      touchdown runs or passes the ball into the endzone from the 
      three-yardline.

         o Fieldgoal (3 points).  The ball is place-kicked over the 
      goalpost on a normal down (not after a TD).

         o Safety (2 points).  The offense's ballcarrier or passer is 
      tackled in the offensive endzone.



























                                    34
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 7.   HOW THE COMPUTER KEEPS TRACK OF THINGS
      -----------------------------------------------------------------


      THE SCOREBOARD

      While you run all of these plays you just learned about, the 
      computer keeps track of possession, down, yards to go, yards 
      gained, scores, time remaining, the 30-second clock, quarters, 
      and all other aspects of the game. These things are displayed on 
      a scoreboard screen that alternates with the play screen.  The 
      scoreboard appears after the play ends.  It goes away after the 
      signals for the next play have been called.  

      Special announcements appear at the top of the score board in big 
      red letters.  Examples are TOUCHDOWN, OUT OF BOUNDS, GOOD 
      (fieldgoal kick), TOUCHBACK, FUMBLE RECOVERED BY BLUE, TWO-MINUTE 
      WARNING, END OF QUARTER 1, END OF GAME.

      The bottom-screen display that shows the cross section of the 
      field with the ball location, the yardline, gain, and number of 
      hits stays on the screen all of the time.  The computer also puts 
      the current down at the top of the playing field at the line of 
      scrimmage



      TIME

      The game clock works much like that of a real game.  The clock is 
      started when a play begins.  The clock is automatically stopped 
      when any of these things happen:


          * first down	         * penalty	     * missed fieldgoal
          * touchback		 * out of bounds     * 2-minute warning
          * score		 * incomplete pass   * end of quarter  
          * Time-out is called                 
          * Both players let play clock expire


      In all of these cases,  the clock will not start again until a 
      new play is begun.  If no play is in progress, the players can 
      tell whether or not the clock is running by looking at the time 
      display or the 30-second clock.  If they are not running, then 
      time is out.  

      The 30-second clock starts running down when the scoreboard 
      screen appears unless the game clock is stopped.  If the clock is 
      running, players have 30 seconds to start the next play or a 
      "delay-of-game" penalty is called.  If neither player calls 
      signals in time, the game clock stops and no one is penalized.
                                    35

      The game does not keep track of time-outs taken by the players.  
      The players must keep track of them themselves.  Each player is
      allowed three time-outs in each half with additional time-outs 
      allowed by mutual consent which are charged to neither player.

      After four 15-minute quarters the game ends unless the score is 
      tied.  In that case another quarter starts with the blue team 
      kicking off.  It is up to the players to decide whether overtime 
      will last one quarter, five minutes, or until there is a score 
      (sudden death).  At the end of the fifth quarter, the scoreboard 
      flashes the END OF GAME message and you are instructed to quit 
      the game and start a new one.  These messages can be ignored and 
      you can play on if you want.  The only way to start a new game is 
      to quit the program and start again.  To quit, type X to get the 
      set-up mode and then type Y twice.  Or you can push Esc.





































                                    36
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 8.   PENALTIES
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      The computer detects fouls such as illegal hits, calling illegal 
      formations or plays, and not getting the play started on time.  
      It calls appropriate penalties and tells the players of the 
      consequences of accepting or refusing the penalties.  This 
      information is printed on the screen.  It then waits for the 
      player who was fouled to push the A for ACCEPT or the R for 
      REFUSE.  Here is how a typical penalty message might look:


                                HOLDING - RED
   
                                  10 YARDS

                     ACCEPT: 1 down and 10 on the blue 35
                     REFUSE: 2 down and 8 on the blue 27

                     ACCEPT OR REFUSE? Blue push A or R



      The severities of the penalties depend on the phase of the play 
      when the infraction occurred.  If the foul happens early in a 
      play, the penalty is lighter than when it happens later.  An 
      illegal hit can be made by either the offensive or the defensive 
      player.  After a play, players can usually see where an illegal 
      hit was made because there a defender of the wrong color can be 
      seen to have made a hit or to have been blocked.  (If you want to 
      keep the field screen from disappearing after a play, try to push 
      the F key as soon as possible.  Push it again to let the game go 
      on.

      Penalties given for illegal hits are given names like "holding" 
      or "unnecessary roughness".

      The main categories of penalties are as follows:

        * Delay of game (not getting signals called on time)
          This infraction is called before a play begins and results in 
          a 5-yard penalty from scrimmage.

        * Illegal procedure (calling illegal signals)
          This infraction is called before a play begins and results in 
          a 5-yard penalty from scrimmage.






                                    37

        * Illegal hit during a rush (pass, fieldgoal, or punt)
          This infraction stops the play as if the foul occurred 
          before the snap of the ball.  The penalty is  5 yards from 
          scrimmage (except that an offensive penalty on a kick for
          the extra point after a TD is 15 yards).    

        * Illegal hit at pass reception or during a run 
          The penalty for this infraction depends on where the foul 
          occurred. It varies from 5 yards from scrimmage to 15 yards 
          from the point where the play stopped.

        * Illegal hit during a runback (interception, kickoff, or punt)
          This penalty is always 10 yards marked from the point at 
          which the play stopped.  

        * Offsetting penalties (both players making illegal hits)
          If the infraction occurred during a runback, the penalties 
          cancel each other and play continues as if there were no 
          penalty.  If the foul occurred at any other time, the 
          penalties cancel each other and the down is replayed from the 
          previous line of scrimmage.































                                    38
      -----------------------------------------------------------------
      CHAPTER 9.    HUMAN AGAINST COMPUTER
      -----------------------------------------------------------------

      In this chapter, we talk about the differences between the 
      computer game and the human game and what the computer as an 
      opponent does differently from a human opponent.

      The computer always defends the same goal (the left one).  It 
      controls the red team.  You control the Blue on the right.  You 
      can use the space bar as another HIT button.

      The human player kicks off at the beginning of the game. 

      The human player always pushes the start button to begin a play, 
      even if he is on defense.  He pushes it when he has finished 
      calling the signals, which puts the formations on the screen.  He 
      pushes it again to begin the play.  If the clock is running, he 
      has 30 seconds to start a new play.  (Almost any key can start 
      the play when playing against the computer.)

      The computer uses all available options. That is, it uses 
      right/left motion and it blocks on offense.
                                        
      The computer calls its signals very quickly so that the human is 
      the last to enter signals.  (No, the computer doesn't cheat by 
      looking at what play the human is calling before it calls its own 
      signals.)

      Because the computer's reflexes are much faster than yours the 
      computer's maximum left/right speed on offense and defense is 
      made slower and its reversing speed on offense is also made 
      slower than that available to the human player.  It wants to give 
      you a fair chance.

      When you are playing against the computer, the block handicap is 
      no longer a handicap put on the offense.  It is a handicap that 
      is put on the computer whether it is on offense or on defense.  
      The handicap can be set from 0 to 3 steps.  The bigger the 
      handicap, the longer (the more steps of the runner or receiver) 
      the computer delays before making hits.

      The computer does not commit infractions.  It gets no penalties.

      It is not sporting to rush against the computer when it is 
      punting or kicking a fieldgoal with more than six defenders. (The 
      computer always kicks on fourth down.  It is not smart enough to 
      try a fake kick when playing against a madly rushing opponent.)  
      If the human rushes with more than six, the probability of 
      getting an OPPORTUNITY to hit is limited to 50% for each hit.  
      That is, he gains no advantage by rushing more than six.


                                    39
      How does the computer stack up against a human?  Under normal 
      circumstances, the computer picks its plays and defenses with as 
      much intelligence as a human player would (sometimes more). It 
      does not normally take into consideration the time left to play 
      or the score.  When these things become important, the human 
      would probably call more sensible plays.  But after a play 
      starts, the computer is probably faster at picking out the holes 
      in pass defenses and taking advantage of them.  When it comes to 
      avoiding defenders or moving defenders in the path of the 
      ballcarrier, the computer is probably not much better than a 
      human at normal game-speeds.  It does have one big advantage.  It 
      doesn't have lapses of concentration.  You won't catch it missing 
      a chance to hit because it wasn't paying attention.

      In addition the the block handicap, game speed is what determines 
      whether you can beat the computer.  At a very low speed, you can 
      beat it hands down.  At a very high speed you don't have a 
      chance.  Unless you get a kick out of beating up on computers or 
      vice versa, you should set the speed and handicap in the middle 
      so that you have a fair contest.  

      Enjoy the game.































                                    40
       
                                               F.L.
                                               DEFENSE.TXT
                                               3/10/91
                                               REV 11/27/94


