ALLIANCE PRESENT John Madden Football - Full Documentation by Baser Evil/Alliance The game has been out awhile, but no docs. So here they are, finally. Have fun I guess.... CONTENTS PLAYING JOHN MADDEN FOOTBALL Fire off the Lines, Starting the Game.............................2 The Kickoff.......................................................6 In the Huddle.....................................................8 Offense...........................................................9 Running Plays...............................................12 Passing Plays...............................................12 Defense..........................................................13 BIG TIME Playoffs................................................16 Statistics.......................................................19 JOHN MADDEN'S FOOTBALL TALK Audibles.........................................................20 Snap.............................................................31 Time Out.........................................................31 Offense Sets, Formations, and Plays..............................32 Offensive Alignments.............................................34 Defense Formations, Sets, and Plays..............................37 Defensive Alignments.............................................39 PLAYER RATINGS...................................................43 --------------------------------------------------------------[ 1 ] FIRE OFF THE LINE: STARTING UP THE GAME To play John Madden Football, you need an Amiga with a minimum 512k of free memory. If your computer has 1MB or more of free memory, you'll also hear special music features during the game. NOTE: John Madden Football is not hard drive installable! Before loading, make copies of your disks. You'll need two, blank, formatted floppy disks. To make copies of your disks: 1. Turn on your Amiga (Amiga 1000 owners, insert Kickstart 1.2 or 1.3.) 2. Insert Workbench into drive DF0:. 3. Users With One Disk Drive: Remove Workbench and insert your original Program Disk into the drive. Users With Two Disk Drives: Insert the Madden Program Disk into the other drive. 4. Place the mouse pointer on the Disk0 icon and left-click to highlight it. 5. Pull down the Icon menu from the menu bar, drag the highlighted bar down to Copy, and release the mouse button. (Users with Workbench 1.2 - 1.3, select the Duplicate option from the Workbench menu.) 6. You may have to swap disks from time to time. Follow the onscreen instructions. 7. The Amiga will automatically name your disk "Copy of Disk0," however, it must be named "Disk0" in order to work properly. Remove "Copy of" and the space following them using the Rename command (on Workbench 1.3 it's on the Workbench menu; on 2.0 it's on the Icon menu). 8. Label the copy "Madden Program Disk." 9. Once you've copied the Madden Program Disk, repeat the above procedure for the Data Disk. Label this copy "Madden Data Disk." To load the game: 1. If your Amiga is on, turn it off. 2. Insert your copy of the Program Disk into drive DF0:. 3. Turn your Amiga on. 4. The EASN intro appears, followed by a Title screen and game credits. Press a mouse or joystick button to exit the current screen and load the game. 5. Users With One Disk Drive: You're prompted to insert the Data Disk. Remove the Program Disk from DF0: and insert your copy of the Data Disk. Users With Two Disk Drives: Insert your copy of the Data Disk into any drive. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 2 ] Note To Users With Only 1MB of Free Memory If your computer has only 1MB of free memory, the game could take a few minutes to load. If your computer has more than 1MB, the "You've got it, we've used it" screen appears to let you know that the program is taking advantage of your extra memory. COPY PROTECTION SCREEN You're asked to enter a statistic for a particular position on a certain team. Turn on the PLAYER RATINGS section in this manual and look up the team name you see on the screen. Find the player position and type the statistics called for. Press Return. SO YOU DON'T KNOW A HAIL MARY FROM A HALFBACK... Football can be confusing for those unfortunates who have never seen the game played before. If you count yourself among the pigskin illiterate, you can review the basic concepts of the game by turning to Appendix A: Quick Guide to Football. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 3 ] GAME SETUP SCREEN Once you've answered the copy protection question and the game has loaded, the Game Setup screen appears. The Game Setup screen options let you choose season modes, teams, weather, stadium type, quarter lengths, and control devices. Season Modes Regular Season - Single game. Sudden Death - The first team to score, wins. New Playoff/Continue Playoff - See BIG TIME PLAYOFFS before choosing either of these modes. Visiting and Home Teams There are 16 teams to choose from plus the All-Madden team (in Regular Season and Sudden Death only). Team Control Teams can be controlled with a joystick, the keyboard, or by the computer. Click on the football icons to change each team's control setting. The top team is the visitor and always kicks off to start the game. [1-Joystick] Control Team using joystick plugged into Joystick Port 2. [2-Joystick] Control team using joystick plugged into Joystick Port 1. [3-SomeKeys] Control team using the keyboard. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 4 ] [Large M] Team controlled by Madden (your computer). Madden's skill and knowledge are built into the game - he's a very aggressive and savvy opponent. Stadium Plays on Open Grass, Open Turf, Dome Grass or Dome Turf (Regular Season and Sudden Death only). Dome stadiums are covered; Open stadiums aren't. Grass playing fields are covered with natural grass - players have better traction on grass but move slower. Turf fields are covered with artificial turf - players can move slightly faster on artificial surfaces. Weather Play in Fair weather, Rain/Mud or Snow/Ice (Regular Season or Sudden Death only). Adverse weather conditions can impede player movement. If the stadium you're playing in is covered by a dome, weather has no effect. Note: In playoff mode, weather is selected by the computer. Quarter Time Select 5, 10 or 15 minute quarters. By default, you're San Francisco playing against the Madden-coached Denver team in a Regular Season game with fair weather, open grass stadium, and five minute quarters. The Madden team (Team 1) is controlled by the computer, and your team (Team 2) is controlled by joystick 1 (the joystick plugged into Joystick Port 2). o You may want to change some of the settings. Use the mouse or joystick to point the Selection Arrow at the various options. If you're using the mouse, it must be plugged into Joystick Port 1; if you're using a joystick, it must be plugged into Joystick Port 2. To change the setting, move the cursor to the football icon and press the joystick button or click the mouse button. Note: The left mouse button cycles forward through the settings; the right mouse button cycles in the other direction. Note: The mouse is used only for selecting options in the Setup screen; it cannot be used during the game. o When you've set up the game you want to play, fasten your chin strap, and select START. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 5 ] Alright! Here comes my evaluation of both teams, who's got a go-to guy, who's weak up the middle, who's got players that aren't afraid of getting dirt on their pants, you know what I mean? These scouting reports are terrific and will help you play a better game. But if you don't think you need them, press the joystick button again. [john madden] GAME CONTROLS You can control your team with a joystick or the keyboard. Which you use depends on the Control Device setting you chose on the Game Setup screen. Keys ---------------- Z - Left X - Right ' - Up / - Down The FIRE Button The instructions in this manual refer to the FIRE button. If you're controlling your team with a joystick, FIRE is the joystick button. If you're controlling your team with the keyboard, FIRE is Return. There are two ways in which you use FIRE. When the instructions tell you to tap the FIRE button, quickly press and release it. When they tell you to hold the FIRE button, press the button and keep it held down until you're told to release it. QUITTING A GAME Once a game has started, you can quit and return to the setup menu by pressing Shift-Esc. If you want to quit Madden altogether, simply turn off your Amiga. THE KICKOFF The visiting team always kicks off. If you're the home team and are playing against Madden (the computer), the kickoff takes place automatically. If this is the case, skip to the RECEIVING TEAM section below. If you're the visiting team, read on. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 6 ] KICKING TEAM After the referee spots the ball and the teams line up, press the Fire button. This starts yoru kicker moving toward the ball and brings up the Kick Metter on the screen. The Kick Meter helps you kick with accuracy and power. [see JohnMadden.p7.iff] The white marker in the strength gauge begins to move up as the kicker approaches the ball. o When the marker reaches the very top of the gauge, press the joystick button to kick the ball. If you want to aim your kick: o As the kciker advances toward the ball, move the joystick left or right to move the direction marker either left or right. When the marker indicates where you want the ball to go, release the joystick. Once the kick is away, your team automatically moves out to break the wedge and tackle your opponent's return man. o After the return man catches the ball, tap FIRE to take control of the defensive guy closest to the ballcarrier. The player you control is standing on the four-arrow symbol so you can recognize him even with his helmet on. To tackle the ballcarrier: 1. Tap fire to take control of the defensive guy closest to the ballcarrier. 2. Use the joystick to guide your guy into the ballcarrier. If you run into him at the correct angle, chances are he'll go down. For a diving tackle (more powerful, but sometimes less accurate): 1. Use the joystick to guide your guy straight at the ballcarrier. 2. Hold FIRE to send him diving in for a tackle. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 7 ] NOTE: Uf your timing is right, you'll bury the runner in his tracks. If your timing's a bit off, your guy goes sailing out of the picture empty handed. No big deal. Just tap FIRE to get control of the defensive guy who's closest and try to bring down the ballcarrier again. RECEIVING TEAM Your deep return man catches the ball and begins to move up field. Either let the computer pick his route for you, or control him using the joystick. The player you control is standing on the four-arrow symbol so you can recognize him. o Tap FIRE to dive for an extra yard or so in the direction the joystick is currently pushed. o To spin and possibly avoid being tackled by pursuing defenders, center the joystick and hold FIRE. o With the joystick pushed in any direction, hold down the FIRE button for extra umph, a boost of extra power and strength that might help you drive through the opposition. When a kickoff or punt goes into the End Zone, it may be better to down the ball rather than try to return it. Don't run out of the End Zone if you wish to down the ball. This is a touchback. The return teams gets the ball on its own 20 yeard line, and play begins from there. IN THE HUDDLE At the end of the kickoff return, both teams huddle up. The game clock on the right side of the screen shows the time left in the quarter. The 45-second clock on the left shows how much time the offense has to start the next play. Offense: Don't worry if the 45-second click runs down to 0 before the snap in a Regular Season game. Your team will NOT get penalized. The clock is there so you can practice getting off your plays in 45 seconds. In the Playoffs you'll get a 5-yeard Delay of Game penalty if you go over 45 seconds. The Play Calling Screen and scoreboard appear above the field. When you're on offense, the Play Calling Screen (PCS) shows your team name and says Choose Set. When your team is on defense the PCS says Choose Formation. --------------------------------------------------------------[ 8 ] Hey, some of my lingo might be new to you but it's football talk. If you want a full explanation of the words in ITALICIZED CAPITAL letters, look em up in JOHN MADDEN'S FOOTBALL TALK. [john madden] OFFENSE In the offensive huddle you're the quarterback. Play calling is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Just like the pros, you call a set, then a formation, and then a play. 1. CHOOSE A SET A Set is football talk for the group of players who will run your play. The names of three sets appear in windows A, B, and C above the field. There are six sets to choose from: NORMAL, HANDS, BIG, FAST, and two SPECIAL TEAMS. Each set represents a different group of offensive guys. To see the other three sets, push the joystick left or right. o When the set you want is in a window, select it like this: --------------------------------------------------------------[ 9 ] NOTE: Don't release the joystick until after you've released FIRE. After you've selected a set, three formations are displayed in the A, B and C windows. The name of the set you chose is displayed briefly on the screen. If you want to change your mind and move back to the Set windows to alter your Set, push the joystick down. 2. CHOOSE A FORMATION A formation tells your player set how to line up before the snap. There are five formations to choose from: GOAL LINE, FAR, NEAR, PRO-FORM, and SHOTGUN. To see the other offensive formations in the windows, push the joystick left or right. o When the formation you want is in the window, choose it like you chose a set: A FIRE + Left + Release FIRE B FIRE + Up + Release FIRE C FIRE + Right + Release FIRE -------------------------------------------------------------[ 10 ] Note: Don't release the joystick until after you've released FIRE. If you want to move back to the Formation windows, push the joystick down. 3. CHOOSE A PLAY Coach Madden designed six different plays for each formation. Their names appear (three at a time) in the windows along with a graphic that shows what happens in each play. In general, plays whose names have yellow backgrounds are running plays. Plays with brown backgrounds are passing plays. Only players with white routes have been designed to carry the ball or receive a pass. o When the play you want is in a window, use the appropriate joystick combination described above to select it. Once you've chosen a play, the only way to change it is by calling an AUDIBLE or a TIME-OUT. For details on calling these, see AUDIBLES and TIME-OUTS in JOHN MADDEN'S FOOTBALL TALK. o When your players get set in their stance at the line of scrimmage, tap the FIRE button to SNAP the ball. Call plays that exploit the strengths of your best players. Or Choose plays that expose the weaknesses of the guys chewing their mouth guards. You know, the defense. [john madden] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 11 ] RUNNING PLAYS Handoffs on running plays happen automatically. You take control AFTER the handoff. Use the joystick to move the ballcarrier through the defense, or watch the computer execute the play you just called. During a running play, you can: o Tap FIRE to dive for an extra yard or so in the direction the joystick in currently pushed. o To spin and possibly avoid being tackled by pursuing defenders, center the joystick and hold FIRE. o With the joystick pushed in any direction, hold down the FIRE button for extra umph, a boost of extra power and strength that might help you drive through the opposition. The defensive guys are not a bunch of stiffs impersonating fire hydrants. They try to run you down. If you can't avoid the contact, you don;t have to fall down in a heap and give up. Keep fighting or yeardage, any way you can! PASSING PLAYS When you call a pass, tap FIRE to snap the ball. At this point, you can let the computer execute the play, or you can use the joystick to move the quarterback backwards after he receives the snap. This gives him some time to get the pass off. o Move the joystick down and tap FIRE to bring up the passing windows. They show which receivers are eligible. (If you're letting your computer control the quarterbak for you, the passing windows come up automatically as soon as the quarterback is ready to throw.) -------------------------------------------------------------[ 12 ] o Select your receiver by using the same window-choosing routine as in play section: A FIRE + Left + Release FIRE B FIRE + Up + Release FIRE C FIRE + Right + Release FIRE Note: Don't release the joystick until after you've released FIRE. Use the joystick to move the receiver to the target circle. (He's doing his best to get there on hos own.) If he doesn't have the speed to get to that exact spot, tap FIRE so he can dive for the ball, or hold FIRE down so he can jump for it. HINT: When you're just learning the game, let the receivers run the routes (patterns) automatically. After watching a few times, you can take full control. Whatever you decide to do, keep a finger near the FIRE button - holding down FIRE at the right time can really increase your chances of catching the ball. Once the receiver has caught the ball, he becomes a runner and he can do what any other runner can do (see Running Plays above). If you pass the line of scrimmage when the pass windows are visible, the play automatically becomes a running play. You may not pass once your quarterback has passed the line of scrimmage. DEFENSE Look at the down, the field position, and the offensive set, which flashes on the screen when the offense chooses it. Then call a play in three simple steps. 1. Choose a formation 2. Choose a set 3. Choose a play 1. CHOOSE A FORMATION On defense a formation is the group of players who will run your play. There are five defensive formations to choose from: BIG, 4-3, NICKEL, DIME, and SPECIAL TEAMS. Each formation represents a different group of defensive guys. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 13 ] The names of three formations appear in the windows marked A, B, and C above the field. To see the other formations, push the joystick left or right. o When the FORMATION you want is in the window, choose it using the same window selection system as before: A FIRE + Left + Release FIRE B FIRE + Up + Release FIRE C FIRE + Right + Release FIRE NOTE: Don't release the joystick until after you've released FIRE. If you want to move back to the formation windows and make a change, push the joystick down. 2. CHOOSE A SET A set specifies the personnel in yoru defensive formation and tells them how to play the offense. There are three basic sets: COVER, READ, and CONTROL. You can use any available set with any formation. But you'll find that certain formations work better with some sets that with others. o When the set you want is in a window, choose it like you chose a Formation. This selects a set and shows the available defensive plays in the windows. If you want to move back to the Set or Formation windows, push the joystick down. 3. CHOOSE A PLAY You've got a lot of choices here. To BLITZ, or stay homel ZONE or MAN-TO-MAN coverage; PREVENT or BUMP AND RUN. That's what makes the game so great - the possibilities. Out-foxing the other guy, figuring out what he's going to do, or making him do something he thinks he thought up for himself. That's really fooling him. [john madden] o When the PLAY you want is in a window, choose it like you chose a Set. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 14 ] Once you've chosen a play, the only way to change it is by calling an AUDIBLE or a TIME-OUT. For details calling these, see AUDIBLES and TIME-OUTS in JOHN MADDEN'S FOOTBALL TALK. HINT: Before the snap, you can hold down the FIRE button and move the joystick left or right to change the player you control. Once the ball has been snapped, tap the FIRE button to take control of the guy closest to the ball. Pass defense works the same way. Once the ball is thrown, tap the FIRE button to get control of the defender closest to where the ball is being thrown. Hold down the FIRE button while your defender is running at the guy to jump and intercept or knock the ball down. Great defenses don't simply react. You've got to make the offense do stuff it doesn't particularly want to do. Exploit known tendencies to run or pass in certain situations. Sometimes you might try to force weird matchups, like putting a linebacker on a wide receiver, just daring the offense to throw to the guy. [john madden] Anticipating The Snap If you're listening to the quarterback call his signals and you think he's just about to order the center to snap the ball, you can order your team forward. This is known as anticipating the snap. To order your players to charge, hold down FIRE and pull the joystick down. The trick is not to order them forward too soon - if they cross the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped, you'll get an Offsides Penalty (5 yards). Crunch Plays The FIRE button can help you put a hurt on the offense. o Just as the receiver is about to catch the ball, hold FIRE to make your defender dive at the receiver or jump to intercept the ball (the computer will decide which is best). If you can time your hit on the receiver so that the defender and the ball arrive at the same time, you've got a great chance to jar the ball loose or force a fumble. But be careful! If you hit the receiver before the ball arrives, you may get whistled for pass interference. If the zebras call your number, the play is spotted at the location of the penalty and the offense gets an automatic first down. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 15 ] o When you make contact with the ballcarrier along with a bunch of your teammates, tap the FIRE button repeatedly to improve your chances of causing a fumble. However, if you're the lone defender, think twice about doing this. If you just try to strip the ball loose, you might miss the tackle. BIG TIME PLAYOFFS New Playoffs When your ready to challenge the rest of the league for the right to play on Super Sunday, choose New Playoff as the Season mode on the Game Setup Screen. o Use the mouse or joystick to point the Selection Arrow at the various options. If you're using the mouse, it must be plugged into Joystick Port 1; if you're using a joystick, it must be plugged into Joystick Port 2. To change the setting, move the cursor to the football icon and press the joystick button or click a mouse button. Visiting and Home Teams Initial team matchups are randomly fixed by the computer, but you can control any team in the playoffs. Team Control Team 1 (top) is the visiting team; Team 2 (bottom) is the home team. To choose a different team, use the joystick or mouse to move the Selection Arrow over the football icon next to either team. Press a mouse or joystick button. Each press cycles to a new set of playoff pairings. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 16 ] o When you see the team you want to be, set the Control Device for your team to joystick or keyboard. For example, if the visiting team is Miami and you want to take them through the playoffs, set the Team 1 Control Device to joystick or keyboard. If you're playing against Madden, set the Team 2 Control Device to M; otherwise, set it to your opponen's control device. Weather In Playoff games, weather and stadium are automatically determined by where you play (you have no control over the type of weather). Whenever you're in an open stadium, snow and mud on the field are distinct possibilities. Everybody has less traction in the mud and snow and long passes are more difficult to complete. Quarter Time Select 5, 10 or 15 minute quarters. o When you've set up the game you want to play, select START in the bottom righthand corner of the screen. The Playoff Tree shows the match-ups that will lead to the championship game on Super Sunday. o To see the scouting reports for your playoff teams, press FIRE. o When you're ready to play your playoff game, press FIRE again. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 17 ] Game rules, functions, conditions and operations are the same in the Playoffs as they are during the Regular Season. But remember: the 45-second clock is active in Playoffs. o At the end of your playoff game, you'll see a screen with an updated playoff tree. A seven digit number appears at the top of the screen. Write this number down on a piece of paper - it's the password you'll need to continue where you left off. Continue Playoffs When you're ready to continue the playoffs where you left off, select Continue Playoffs as the Season Mode on the Game Setup Screen. An additional - Enter Password - appears on the screen. If you just finsihed a game in this playoff, you don't need to enter a password. Simply select Start at the bottom of the screen. However, if you've interrupted the playoffs by quitting Madden or playing a Regular Season or Sudden Death game, you'll need to enter a password. Here's how you enter the password you received at the end of your last game. o Select Enter Password. The Playoff Password screen appears. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 18 ] o Select the Enter Password option on this screen. The current number is deleted. o Type the number you copied down at the end of your last Playoff game. (If you make a mistake while typing, press Del to backspace over them.) o Select Retirn to Menu to go back to the Game Setup Screen. You can now choose any team that won in the previous round to continue in your attempt to reach Super Sunday. Select start to play the next game in the Playoff. STATISTICS At half-time and the end of the game, Coach madden presents the stats for your game: who's running well, who's going nowhere fast, who's sacking whom, and all the rest. If you're in Playoff mode, press FIRE to see a summary of other games played today. If there are other games still going on, you'll see highlights of the close contests. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 19 ] JOHN MADDEN'S FOOTBALL TALK AUDIBLES If the play you called in the huddle looks like a loser when you hit the line of scrimmage, you can call an audible. Once in formation, push the joystick up (or in the case of Defense before the snap, hold FIRE down and press the joystick up) to alert your team that you're calling an audible. Push the joystick left, up or right to choose a specific play, or down to cancel the audible and go with the play you originally chose. The audibles available to you depend on which team you control. Each team has a different set of audibles. Onside Kicks: If the kicking team is behind with very little time left, they may opt to kick the ball a short distance (minimum 10 yeards) in an attempt to recover the ball on a fumble by the receiving team. This is called an onside kick. To call an audible for an onside kick, push the joystick up and right on onside formatipon. have your kicker aim a kick toward the right sideline, and kick the ball weakly. Tap the FIRE button to control the player nearest the ball after the onside kick. Hold the FIRE button down with the joystick pushed in the appropriate direction to make that player dive for the ball. On Defense: To call an audible for a trick play (like a flea-flicker or a double reverse), push the joystick up and left. To call an audible for an anti-blitz play, push the joystick up twice. To call an audible for a running play, push the joystick up and right. On Defense: To call an audible to protect against the run, hold down FIRE and push the joystick up and left. To call an audible for a blitz play, hold down FIRE and push the joystick up and left. To call an audible for a stunt, hold down FIRE and push the joystick up and right. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 20 ] There are over 30 audibles and each team has its own set of six. Look at the numbered play diagrams to see what your team audibles look like. Offense Defense A B C A B C Atlanta 4 13 18 22 25 31 Buffalo 3 9 17 22 25 31 Chicago 2 9 19 22 26 31 Cincinnati 1 13 19 22 28 31 Denver 4 10 16 22 29 31 Houston 8 14 18 22 23 31 Kansas City 7 11 17 22 23 31 Los Angeles 2 11 20 22 27 31 Miami 8 15 19 22 24 31 Minnesota 7 9 18 22 26 31 New England 5 10 18 22 30 31 New York 1 11 17 22 29 31 Philadelphia 6 11 16 22 30 31 Pittsburgh 6 10 16 22 27 31 San Francisco 5 15 17 22 24 31 Washington 3 14 19 22 28 31 All-Madden 8 12 21 22 25 31 [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P21.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 21 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE A (TRICK PLAYS) 1 Halfback Option New York, Cincinnati 2 Statue of Liberty Los Angeles, Chicago 3 Reverse Washington, Buffalo 4 Shovel Draw Denver, Atlanta [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P22.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 22 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE A (TRICK PLAYS) 5 Double Reverse San Francisco, New England 6 Naked Bootleg Philadelphia, Pittsburgh 7 Halback Toss and Pass Minnesota, Kansas City 8 End Around Miami, Houston, All-Madden [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P23.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 23 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE B (ANTI-BLITZ PLAYS) 9 Fullback/Halfback Toss Right Chicago, Minnesota, Buffalo 10 Rollout Pass Denver, New England, Pittsburgh 11 Play Action Pass New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Kansas City 12 Halfback Screen All-Madden [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P24.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 24 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE B (ANTI-BLITZ PLAYS) 13 Quick Slant Cincinnati, Atlanta 14 Fullback Slant In Houston, Washington 15 Swing Curl Left San Francisco, Miami [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P25.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 25 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE C (RUNNING PLAYS) 16 Quarterback draw Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Denver 17 Fullback Draw Right New York, Kansas City, Buffalo, San Francisco 18 Fullback Draw Left New England, Atlanta, Minnesota, Houston 19 Fullback Counter Right Miami, Chicago, Washington, Cincinnati [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P26.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 26 ] OFFENSE - AUDIBLE C (RUNNING PLAYS) 20 Halfback Toss Left Los Angeles 21 Fullback Draw All-Madden [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P27.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 27 ] AUDIBLE FORMATIONS Every Team has a version of play 22, the Anti-Run audible. The strong safety, anticipating a run, leaves the man or zone he's assigned to cover, and cheats up to the line of scrimmage just before the snap. This gives an extra man on the line. DEFENSE - AUDIBLE A (ANTI-RUN PLAYS) 22 Blitz All-Madden [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P28.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 28 ] DEFENSE - AUDIBLE B (BLITZES) 23 Monster Blitz Houston, Kansas City 24 Jet Blitz San Francisco, Miami 25 Red Dog Blitz Buffalo, Atlanta, All-Madden 26 Safety Blitz Minnesota, Chicago [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P29.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 29 ] DEFENSE - AUDIBLE B (BLITZES) 27 46 Red Blitz Los Angeles, Pittsburgh 28 Weak Cat Blitz Cincinnati, Washington 29 Tuf Bronco Blitz Denver, New York 30 Mad Tiger Blitz Philadelphia, New England [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P30.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 30 ] PLAY 31 LINE STUNT Every team in the league has a play 31, the defensive line stunt. It's an alignment in which combinations of linemen and linebackers rush the quarterback using routes to the backfield that are meant to disrupt the normal blocking assignments of the offensive line and confuse the quarterback. There are numerous version of the stunt built into the game. The computer chooses one at random when you push the joystick right. See also STUNT. SNAP All the action starts with the snap of the ball, and only the offense knows the count. If you're on defense and want to try to anticipate the quarterback's cadence - that is, how he calls the signals - hold down FIRE and pull the joystick down just before or as the ball is snapped. Your defensive guys will try to fire into the backfield and dump the quarterback, or at least stuff the play before it gets rolling. The down-side is, if you do this too soon before the ball is snapped, you'll get an offsides penalty (5 yards). TIME OUT You can call Time Out any time before the ball is snapped, or after the play is over. Just press F1 if you're using Joystick 1, or F10 if you're using Joystick 2 or the keyboard (pressing these buttons during a play pauses the game). This stops the clock and pauses the game. A screen message appears that reads OFFENSE CALLS: TIME OUT (or DEFENSE CALLS: TIME OUT, depending on who called it), and gives the number of Time Outs remaining in the half. If you want a Time Out, press the FIRE button. You can then reset the play. Sometimes an audible just wont do and you really want to realign your formation. Call a time out and take care of it - better safe than sorry. However, you only get three time outs each half, so use them wisely. If you change your mind (you're allowed to) or you just wanted a pause, rather than to change the formation, press F1 or F10 again. Play resumes at the point where you paused the game and you still have the same number of Time outs left. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 31 ] OFFENSE SETS, FORMATIONS, AND PLAYS SETS FAST My version of the Run and Shoot. It has four quick receivers and a halfback. Guys with good hands who run forty yards in less than five seconds are the stuff defensive backs have nightmares about. NORMAL Refers to the standard offensive package: two wide receivers, a tight end, a halfback and a fullback. HANDS Puts your best group of receivers on the field, and includes two running backs. BIG Fields your strongest backs, cannonballs with legs who can grind out yards in the mud and snow. These guys let the defense grab a leg just so they can ram it through their chests. FORMATIONS SHOTGUN This is primarily a passing formation because the quarterback receives the snap about five yards behind the line. He doesn't have to drop back to throw the ball, cause he's already there. PRO-FORM This is my version of the pro-set, where the fullback and a halfback line up beside one another and behind the quarterback. FAR and NEAR These are my way of describing where the halfback lines up. He's either far from or near to the strong side of the offensive line, that's the side where the tight end lines up. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 32 ] PLAYS FLOOD One of the most effective ways for a quarterback to beat zone coverage is to flood, or overload the zone with multiple receivers. A defender has to think twice about leaving his own zone to follow a receiver into another guy's zone. CUT You've heard of turning on a dime. That's sportswriter talk. I never really understood why you'd want to do that, even if it was possible. I guess it means turning fast. I think cutting is a more accurate description of the ability to change direction. A guy's going one way and boom, he cuts and is going another way. PULL In a pull play, the guard runs parallel to the line of scrimmage and turns up field when he clears the tight end. The running back follows right behind, a smile on his face. TRAP Like all good offensive plays, the Trap depends on deception to work. The idea is you trap a defensive guy into thinking one thing is happening, when really something totally different is going on. For example, you let a defensive end just walk into the backfield. You put up only token resistance. He's saying, "Man, this is a piece of cake, I'm going to stuff this play and maybe get a sack!" Suddenly an earth mover disguised as an offensive guard comes from an unexpected direction and the defensive guy is on his backside wondering what happened. The runner jets through the area where the defensive guy was when he was standing up. COUNTER A Counter play relies on misdirection. You try to sell the defense on the idea that the play is going right, for example, when in fact you want to go left. It's a tough sell. You send everybody but the water boy and the guy who's going to carry the ball in one direction. When you have them moving the wrong way, give the ball to the running back and he runs to daylight in the opposite direction. SCREEN A screen is a short pass caught behind the line of scrimmage. Usually the quarterback lures rushing defenders toward him and then loops a soft pass over their outstretched hands to a moving running back/receiver who follows a screen of blockers downfield. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 33 ] PLAYACTION Playaction (also called play fake) refers to a pass thrown after the quarterback has faked a handoff to a running back. The back tries to add to the deception by pretending to take the ball and follow blockers. The idea is that the fake delays the pass rushers, and makes the defensive backs run toward the line to help tackle the guy they think has the ball. DRAW The opposite of a play action pass. The QB drops back as if to pass and hands off to the running back who charges up the middle of the formation. By the time the rushing defenders realize the deception, their momentum may have taken them beyond the ballcarrier. QUICKOUTS Sometimes called a square out. In this pass pattern the receiver takes a few steps upfield and makes a quick 90 degree cut to the nearest sideline. If he doesn't want to sit next to the water cooler for the rest of the game, he tries to stay in bounds. CROSS Most crossing patterns are the opposite of quickouts the receiver turns toward the middle of the field. Some guys call them slants, but it just depends on the angle that the receiver runs. POST UP Post patterns are for fast guys. The receiver runs downfield and angles in toward the goal post. If the quarterback can really air out the ball, and the receiver can run like the wind, this bomb can score. OFFENSIVE ALIGNMENTS The sts and formations show how your offensive team lines up when you call certain plays (see OFFENSE, above). Remember: not all formations are appropriate with every set. We're showing you the most common ones here. You'll be more competitive if you use these alignments in combination with the PLAYER RATINGS. Here's an example of how they work. From the PLAYER RATINGS you can find out who your fastest wide receiver is. You can find out where that guy lines up by looking at the OFFENSIVE ALIGNMENT chart, below. You might want to call a play for him from the passing windows, if his hands are as good as his feet, -------------------------------------------------------------[ 34 ] SET/FORMATION Normal/Far WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB SE1 HB1 FB Normal/Near WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB SE1 FB HB1 Normal/Pro-Form WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB SE1 HB1 FB Normal/Shotgun WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 HB1 FB WR2 QB Big/Far LT LG C RG RT TE1 SE1 QB SE2 HB1 FB Big/Near SE1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB SE2 FB HB1 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 35 ] Big/Pro-Form WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB SE1 FB HB1 Fast/Far LT LG C RG RT TE1 WR1 QB SE1 WR2 HB1 Fast/Near LT LG C RG RT TE1 WR1 QB SE1 WR2 HB1 Fast/Pro-Form WR1 LT LG C RG RT SE2 QB WR2 SE1 HB1 Fast/Shotgun WR1 LT LG C RG RT SE2 WR2 SE1 HB1 QB Hands/Pro-Form WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 QB WR2 SE1 HB1 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 36 ] Hands/Shotgun WR1 LT LG C RG RT TE1 WR2 SE1 HB1 QB Kickoff Return RG RT LT LG TE1 FB TE2 SE1 HB2 WR1 HB1 DEFENSE FORMATIONS, SETS, AND PLAYS FORMATIONS BIG A good line up for stuffing the short run and goal line defense. 4-3 Standard four down linemen with three linebackers. Used for short and medium zone pass coverage and basic defense against the run. NICKEL Gets its name from the addition of a fifth defensive back (nickel back). When a pass is expected, may teams add a defensive back to their sets, and take out a down lineman or linebacker. Cover and Read sets are available. DIME When the defense is willing to mortgage the farm that the next play is going to be a pass, they might put in a sixth defensive back. This is the Dime defense or Dime package. Cover and Read sets are available. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 37 ] SETS CONTROL A Control set is the best defense against running plays because it emphasizes containment. Control basically means that the defense is willing to give up short stuff up the middle, but they're not prepared to let the offense work the sidelines and make big yards on sweeps and stuff like that. Control is not available with the Nickel and Dime formations. READ The Read set gives balanced coverage. The defense has a little bit more flexibility to react quickly to pass or run. This is known as having some options. It's probably the safest defense against run or pass, but it's not the strongest defense against either one. COVER Cover is usually the best set against the pass. The defense is trying to convince the offense that all its receivers are covered and any ball thrown will be shut down or intercepted. Pass coverage comes in two basic flavors: Man-to-man and Zone (see Defensive Plays, below). PLAYS BLITZ A blitz is when one or more of the linebackers or defensive backs unexpectedly rush the quarterback. This usually happens when the defense thinks the offense is going to pass. A blitzing linebacker tries to sack the quarterback but he's satisfied if he puts enough pressure on the ball handler to make him hurry his motion and throw badly. STUNT A stunt is when a defensive lineman takes an unexpected route toward the quarterback. Instead of going straight ahead and trying to get by the offensive man in front of him, he might loop around one or two teammates to approach the backfield. When one or more defensive linemen stunt, they can cause confusion in the offensive line. ZONE In Zone pass coverage, the defender is responsible for a particular area of the field. He covers any receiver who enters his area. Some defensive backs hate it when you come into their zone. They say, "Get out of my area and no one gets hurt." Some receivers believe them. Zone defenders will play five yards off the receiver to prevent getting burned deep. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 38 ] MAN In Man-to-man pass coverage, the defender follows a certain receiver wherever he goes. Man-to-Man defenders are tough guys who love a challenge. They play closer to the receiver but better have the horsepower to stay with a speedy opponent. Their reputations are on the line every time the ball goes in the air. They can't say, "I thought you were guarding him." They say stuff like, "I'm gonna be on his back like white on rice." JAM Although it's against the rules to tackle or hold onto a pass receiver before he touches the ball, a defender can jam or chuck a receiver. That means he's allowed to give him one push or block within five yards of the line of scrimmage, provided the ball hasn't been thrown. The defensive man is going to knock the receiver off balance, mess up his timing, and prevent him from running his pattern. PREVENT Prevent concedes a short gain to the offense but focuses on preventing a long gain. The defensive backfield lines up farther back from the line as usual, so they give up the short pass too. It's usually used late in the half or game when the defensive team is way ahead, and the offensive team is out of scoring position. DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENTS The alignments show how your defensive team lines up when you call certain formations and sets (see DEFENSE, above). You'll be more competitive if you use these alignments in combination with the PLAYER RATINGS. Here's and example of how to use them. From the PLAYER RATINGS you can find out who your fastest defensive back is. From the DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT chart below, you know where that guy lines up. If he's not covering the man or zone you want him to cover, get control of him by tapping the FIRE button with the joystick cenetered (until he's standing on the 4-arrow symbol) and then use the joystick to move him into the position where you think he'll do the most good. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 39 ] FORMATIONS/SETS BIG/CONTROL SS RCB1 LCB1 PLB RLB RE RT MLB LT LE LLB BIG/READ SS RCB1 LCB1 PLB RLB RE RT MLB LT LE LLB BIG/COVER FS1 RCB1 LCB1 SS RLB RE RT MLB LT LE LLB 4-3/CONTROL FS SS RCB1 LCB1 MLB RLB RE RT LT LE LLB 4-3/READ FS SS RCB1 LCB1 MLB RLB RE RT LT LE LLB -------------------------------------------------------------[ 40 ] 4-3/COVER FS SS RCB1 LCB1 PLB RLB RE RT LT LE LLB NICKEL/CONTROL SS FS1 FS2 RCB1 LCB1 RLB LLB RE RT LT LE NICKEL/READ SS FS1 FS2 RCB1 LCB1 RLB LLB RE RT LT LE NICKEL/COVER SS RCB2 LCB2 RCB1 LCB1 RLB LLB RE RT LT LE DIME/READ SS FS1 RCB2 FS2 RCB1 LCB1 MLB RE RT LT LE -------------------------------------------------------------[ 41 ] DIME/COVER SS FS1 RCB2 FS2 RCB1 LCB1 PLB RE RT LT LE SPECIAL TEAMS/PREVENT SS FS1 FS2 RCB2 PLB LCB2 RCB1 RE RT LE LCB1 SPECIAL TEAMS/PUNT RETURN WR1 SS MLB LLB TE1 TE2 RLB RE RT LT LE SPECIAL TEAMS/PUNT BLOCK FS1 FS2 RLB MLB SS TE1 RE RT LT LE TE2 SPECIAL TEAMS/FIELD GOAL BLOCK WR1 SS MLB LLB FS1 FS2 RLB RE RT LT LE KICKOFF FS1 TE1 RLB RE MLB P SS LE LLB TE2 FS2 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 42 ] PLAYER RATINGS The skills and attributes of every player in our league is rated on a scale from 0 to 15, with 15 standing for near perfection. Each player has a speed rating - if you can't run, you can't play the game. But, since different positions require different skills, we've also rated the characteristics that are most important for each playing position. These player ratings are reflected in my team scouting reports and in the way individual players perform. Here's an example of how the ratings work and how use can use them. You'll notice San Fancisco's number one wide receiver (WR1) has great quickness, speed, and a pair of hands you'd trust to catch an artillery shell. If you're on offense, you're going to want to throw to this guy a lot, or use him as a decoy because the defense has to respect him. If you're on defense, you want to guard against ever going man-to-man with this burner with only a linebacker to depend on. You're probably going to want to put your faster defensive back on him. Get the idea? Keep these ratings in mind when you choose a play. They'll help you play a better game. Key to Player Ratings Eight groups of players are rated, four offensive and four defensive. OFFENSE DEFENSE 1. Quarterback = Quarterback (QB) Defensive Line = Tackle (RT,LT) End (RE, LE) 2. Running Backs = Halfback (HB) Linebackers = LB (M, middle, R, Fullback (FB) right, L, Left, P, passing) 3. Receivers = Wide Receiver (WR) Defensive Backs = Strong Safety Split End (SE) (SS), Free Tight End (TE) Safety (FS) Cornerback (RCB, LCB) 4. Offensive Line = Center (C) Special Teams = Kicker (K) Guard (RG, LG) Punter (P) Tackle (RT,LT) -------------------------------------------------------------[ 43 ] ALL-MADDEN Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 15 15 6 8 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 10 13 11 HB1 9 8 15 15 HB2 6 10 12 7 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 15 15 8 15 SE1 15 15 12 12 TE1 10 11 11 14 WR2 15 7 15 15 SE2 9 15 15 12 TE2 10 7 11 11 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 273 14 15 10 LG 297 14 13 10 RG 294 11 15 10 LT 270 14 15 10 RT 279 14 15 10 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 10 15 12 LT 13 7 15 9 RT 5 7 15 12 RE 10 7 15 9 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 14 15 15 RLB 8 9 8 15 LLB 13 12 15 14 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 15 12 15 15 FS1 10 8 7 15 RCB1 15 4 14 15 LCB1 15 13 0 15 RCB2 10 6 13 15 LCB2 5 7 6 9 FS2 5 10 15 15 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 12 12 12 P 15 3 13 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 44 ] ATLANTA Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 9 13 4 7 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 3 8 2 7 HB1 4 3 0 11 HB2 3 4 0 8 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 13 7 5 6 SE1 6 8 8 8 TE1 5 5 7 10 WR2 8 0 4 2 SE2 8 3 0 2 TE2 2 5 4 7 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 294 11 10 5 LG 254 9 9 7 RG 281 11 12 0 LT 304 11 13 2 RT 300 5 9 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 2 3 6 3 LT 7 6 9 6 RT 8 14 13 10 RE 2 3 5 4 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 10 3 4 RLB 11 2 10 1 LLB 13 3 10 2 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 8 7 12 2 FS1 5 1 3 3 RCB1 15 8 12 14 LCB1 7 1 5 12 RCB2 5 2 2 4 LCB2 8 2 0 7 FS2 10 3 8 4 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 10 2 2 P 9 12 9 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 45 ] BUFFALO Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 10 3 6 8 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 7 7 0 HB1 6 7 15 11 HB2 6 2 3 0 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 12 3 3 1 SE1 9 15 11 11 TE1 2 3 0 3 WR2 9 7 3 1 SE2 12 3 0 0 TE2 2 0 0 6 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 283 12 13 0 LG 283 9 11 10 RG 280 6 7 5 LT 288 8 9 10 RT 300 4 8 3 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 5 4 3 3 LT 8 5 15 9 RT 10 2 4 3 RE 10 8 15 5 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 9 15 3 RLB 8 9 8 15 LLB 13 5 8 9 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 15 15 14 5 FS1 5 9 0 15 RCB1 15 9 7 10 LCB1 5 7 6 10 RCB2 10 2 0 5 LCB2 15 3 0 4 FS2 5 2 0 10 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 10 5 5 P 3 3 3 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 46 ] CHICAGO Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 10 3 10 11 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 4 4 10 HB1 10 10 7 13 HB2 4 1 6 3 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 7 12 10 9 SE1 7 7 4 6 TE1 4 3 5 7 WR2 11 3 3 2 SE2 2 7 0 5 TE2 2 3 7 7 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 265 10 10 6 LG 283 7 11 4 RG 269 5 8 3 LT 272 10 7 0 RT 274 10 7 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 6 5 3 3 LT 7 4 13 8 RT 5 9 13 11 RE 7 7 11 10 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 3 6 10 10 RLB 6 11 12 10 LLB 13 7 10 5 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 5 4 4 4 FS1 5 4 6 5 RCB1 10 6 13 9 LCB1 5 3 9 8 RCB2 10 3 2 5 LCB2 8 3 0 6 FS2 5 5 10 5 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 3 13 13 P 5 2 7 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 47 ] CINCINNATI Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 8 12 8 12 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 10 11 15 HB1 9 8 15 15 HB2 9 8 0 3 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 9 3 15 12 SE1 15 7 15 15 TE1 10 15 11 8 WR2 6 7 3 1 SE2 6 11 7 2 TE2 4 7 11 8 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 279 12 15 10 LG 276 9 15 0 RG 290 11 9 0 LT 277 12 15 10 RT 297 9 15 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 0 2 4 6 LT 3 6 1 9 RT 10 6 9 7 RE 10 5 3 3 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 13 6 1 2 RLB 8 1 2 2 LLB 3 4 15 2 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 15 12 15 15 FS1 15 10 13 4 RCB1 10 6 13 15 LCB1 10 5 14 4 RCB2 10 1 6 9 LCB2 5 3 14 4 FS2 10 2 0 15 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 3 13 10 P 6 3 5 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 48 ] DENVER Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 15 4 10 15 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 9 0 7 HB1 6 8 13 7 HB2 4 7 11 7 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 15 15 12 12 SE1 9 3 15 13 TE1 10 7 11 11 WR2 12 11 7 4 SE2 6 7 3 9 TE2 2 11 0 3 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 269 8 11 5 LG 271 11 9 5 RG 292 12 13 10 LT 305 5 10 5 RT 285 9 13 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 0 7 10 7 LT 8 11 1 9 RT 10 7 3 7 RE 10 5 3 8 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 0 0 0 0 RLB 13 11 2 7 LLB 8 12 15 7 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 5 10 7 3 FS1 10 15 0 15 RCB1 5 10 6 8 LCB1 15 13 0 15 RCB2 15 2 7 3 LCB2 5 10 0 8 FS2 5 4 0 14 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 5 13 8 P 7 11 10 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 49 ] HOUSTON Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 8 12 8 12 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 10 7 3 HB1 6 5 13 15 HB2 9 6 7 7 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 15 11 15 12 SE1 9 11 15 15 TE1 10 11 7 2 WR2 12 11 7 7 SE2 12 7 3 6 TE2 7 3 7 3 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 272 9 5 0 LG 292 9 15 0 RG 292 9 15 10 LT 315 4 5 0 RT 298 12 13 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 3 4 6 LT 3 8 9 4 RT 10 5 15 5 RE 10 3 4 3 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 6 9 1 RLB 13 5 8 7 LLB 3 6 1 15 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 10 13 14 15 FS1 10 3 0 14 RCB1 10 7 0 3 LCB1 15 7 13 3 RCB2 5 3 0 9 LCB2 5 3 6 3 FS2 5 7 0 10 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 13 15 1 P 15 3 13 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 50 ] KANSAS CITY Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 11 6 5 4 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 11 11 8 HB1 7 6 9 7 HB2 4 6 6 7 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 5 10 9 8 SE1 5 9 3 7 TE1 2 3 2 5 WR2 3 9 3 4 SE2 6 5 4 2 TE2 5 5 0 3 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 257 9 6 0 LG 300 6 13 5 RG 285 4 7 0 LT 300 6 14 10 RT 298 6 15 5 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 7 4 3 LT 10 8 11 8 RT 5 6 11 11 RE 10 4 4 9 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 13 6 11 6 RLB 13 11 3 11 LLB 12 9 3 9 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 8 3 2 10 FS1 6 11 10 13 RCB1 15 10 9 15 LCB1 9 8 15 14 RCB2 5 6 6 5 LCB2 5 4 7 3 FS2 7 2 11 6 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 6 12 4 P 8 14 12 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 51 ] LOS ANGELES Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 12 15 8 10 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 6 6 11 11 HB1 4 8 11 3 HB2 6 6 3 15 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 15 7 11 5 SE1 6 7 15 15 TE1 7 7 11 11 WR2 9 7 15 9 SE2 9 7 7 4 TE2 10 3 7 5 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 284 9 7 0 LG 294 12 13 10 RG 292 4 6 10 LT 286 11 9 5 RT 293 12 13 10 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 0 6 3 3 LT 3 8 15 5 RT 10 12 10 8 RE 5 4 3 6 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 13 12 8 2 RLB 8 8 15 1 LLB 13 12 15 1 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 5 7 7 9 FS1 10 8 6 15 RCB1 15 4 0 4 LCB1 15 2 0 3 RCB2 5 1 0 15 LCB2 5 2 0 3 FS2 5 9 6 3 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 12 4 7 P 6 1 3 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 52 ] MIAMI Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 15 15 5 11 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 9 8 3 HB1 8 6 5 11 HB2 4 7 5 5 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 13 11 7 13 SE1 10 11 0 10 TE1 9 8 9 10 WR2 7 13 7 9 SE2 9 0 7 9 TE2 4 7 5 6 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 284 6 9 10 LG 278 11 11 10 RG 276 9 11 6 LT 270 8 10 4 RT 293 4 5 5 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 0 6 13 5 LT 5 12 10 10 RT 10 4 4 7 RE 10 8 4 6 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 3 13 15 9 RLB 5 6 9 8 LLB 11 7 8 9 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 11 6 12 10 FS1 13 12 13 5 RCB1 10 3 5 12 LCB1 5 4 0 3 RCB2 10 4 0 7 LCB2 5 3 0 4 FS2 8 5 7 6 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 15 10 10 P 11 4 11 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 53 ] MINNESOTA Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 8 6 10 12 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 9 7 11 HB1 12 7 3 11 HB2 8 8 3 7 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 9 15 15 12 SE1 9 15 7 10 TE1 10 11 11 14 WR2 6 3 11 5 SE2 12 7 7 7 TE2 7 7 3 12 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 259 9 2 10 LG 281 9 13 10 RG 291 5 8 0 LT 281 11 11 10 RT 298 6 13 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 5 2 6 LT 13 7 13 8 RT 5 7 13 11 RE 10 7 13 8 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 14 13 15 RLB 3 9 13 8 LLB 8 7 13 9 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 15 15 15 17 FS1 10 12 13 10 RCB1 13 8 7 14 LCB1 10 14 6 3 RCB2 10 8 7 10 LCB2 10 2 6 4 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 10 10 6 P 5 4 7 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 54 ] NEW ENGLAND Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 5 8 5 4 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 4 10 8 10 HB1 8 6 6 7 HB2 2 2 3 3 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 5 7 6 10 SE1 11 6 13 12 TE1 4 8 3 6 WR2 6 4 4 4 SE2 7 7 6 9 TE2 7 2 2 4 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 302 4 8 10 LG 265 11 12 10 RG 277 3 4 0 LT 289 6 12 3 RT 294 11 9 5 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 3 3 7 4 LT 3 10 15 12 RT 10 5 7 7 RE 7 8 11 5 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 3 5 13 6 RLB 8 9 4 3 LLB 13 6 15 8 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 5 10 0 6 FS1 5 1 0 10 RCB1 5 7 13 10 LCB1 10 5 7 12 RCB2 5 2 0 8 LCB2 5 2 0 4 FS2 10 3 8 4 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 12 13 3 P 2 1 4 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 55 ] NEW YORK Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 12 11 6 8 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 5 9 5 7 HB1 8 5 14 3 HB2 6 4 10 3 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 10 7 3 6 SE1 6 5 9 9 TE1 5 8 3 11 WR2 6 6 5 6 SE2 5 6 5 7 TE2 3 0 3 5 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 254 9 8 10 LG 280 9 9 5 RG 297 9 13 10 LT 316 5 11 5 RT 280 5 6 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 4 4 4 LT 3 9 5 10 RT 8 6 4 3 RE 6 8 15 12 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 15 8 11 11 RLB 13 13 11 10 LLB 3 5 12 3 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 12 12 10 5 FS1 12 4 8 7 RCB1 12 3 3 5 LCB1 15 8 7 12 RCB2 7 1 0 7 LCB2 5 2 2 4 FS2 5 3 2 6 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 7 6 9 P 14 8 11 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 56 ] PHILADELPHIA Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 12 4 12 15 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 6 9 3 7 HB1 4 6 11 11 HB2 6 6 3 11 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 12 11 7 7 SE1 6 7 15 4 TE1 7 15 7 13 WR2 4 7 0 11 SE2 9 0 0 2 TE2 7 11 0 1 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 278 9 7 0 LG 288 6 11 0 RG 286 11 11 5 LT 271 9 5 5 RT 275 6 13 5 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 10 15 12 LT 3 8 15 12 RT 10 9 15 9 RE 6 10 15 12 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 14 15 15 RLB 8 1 2 3 LLB 8 10 8 15 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 10 10 14 5 FS1 5 10 15 15 RCB1 15 4 14 15 LCB1 15 6 7 5 RCB2 10 1 0 4 LCB2 5 1 1 10 FS2 5 2 7 10 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 3 1 1 P 3 1 7 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 57 ] PITTSBURGH Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 7 8 9 11 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 7 9 8 10 HB1 9 7 9 3 HB2 5 4 3 8 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 11 13 10 15 SE1 8 6 8 9 TE1 3 6 6 7 WR2 5 3 6 3 SE2 8 5 4 5 TE2 2 4 4 6 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 276 6 5 10 LG 261 12 13 7 RG 278 9 14 10 LT 293 6 11 3 RT 266 8 10 6 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 8 7 7 10 LT 3 11 15 12 RT 10 8 10 8 RE 7 3 5 7 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 6 10 5 RLB 13 9 15 7 LLB 3 3 3 5 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 13 12 12 4 FS1 10 7 15 4 RCB1 14 5 10 10 LCB1 9 8 9 13 RCB2 5 2 12 4 LCB2 11 4 4 8 FS2 5 3 9 3 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 10 10 13 P 3 3 3 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 58 ] SAN FRANCISCO Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 15 15 6 8 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 8 10 13 11 HB1 6 10 12 7 HB2 9 7 3 3 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 15 15 8 15 SE1 15 11 11 8 TE1 4 7 11 11 WR2 6 7 3 3 SE2 6 7 3 9 TE2 7 7 7 8 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 264 8 9 10 LG 257 6 15 10 RG 276 6 11 0 LT 299 12 15 0 RT 279 12 15 10 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 10 10 11 LT 3 8 2 6 RT 0 4 3 6 RE 10 8 9 7 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 8 15 15 14 RLB 3 6 8 14 LLB 13 12 15 14 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 10 15 14 2 FS1 10 8 7 15 RCB1 15 10 13 8 LCB1 5 15 13 8 RCB2 5 2 0 8 LCB2 10 6 7 2 FS2 10 6 7 8 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 12 12 12 P 6 1 7 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 59 ] WASHINGTON Player ratings Quarterbacks ------------ pass range pass accuracy speed scrambling QB 14 10 6 11 Running Backs ------------- speed power breaking tackles hands FB 6 10 7 7 HB1 7 8 10 7 HB2 5 7 4 5 Receivers --------- speed catching breaking tackles quickness WR1 12 10 12 13 SE1 9 11 11 15 TE1 6 7 5 8 WR2 11 10 9 12 SE2 6 7 4 7 TE2 2 2 0 6 Offensive Line -------------- weight pass blocking run blocking speed C 264 11 11 10 LG 272 6 12 10 RG 299 11 11 2 LT 299 12 15 10 RT 312 12 15 0 Defensive Line -------------- speed tackling strength pursuit LE 10 8 11 10 LT 2 6 15 7 RT 2 9 13 7 RE 10 6 13 11 Linebackers ----------- speed tackling strength awareness MLB 3 3 12 2 RLB 13 10 15 6 LLB 5 8 8 4 PLB 8 10 1 6 Defensive Backs --------------- speed tackling hitting ability pass coverage SS 5 11 12 4 FS1 5 8 11 9 RCB1 10 8 11 9 LCB1 15 3 11 9 RCB2 5 2 9 8 LCB2 12 4 10 5 FS2 6 4 9 5 Special Teams ------------- range accuracy consistency K 2 9 7 P 8 13 11 -------------------------------------------------------------[ 60 ] APPENDIX A: QUICK GUIDE TO FOOTBALL For those of you who know nothing of the rules of football, here's an introduction to the basic principles of the game. OVERVIEW The main playing area is 53 12 yards wide and 100 yards long, divided into two 50 yard halves. At each end of the field is an additional ten yard section called the end zone. Each team has 11 men on the field. At any point in the game, there is an attacking team, or offense, and a defending team, or defense. The offense is truing to score points, and in order to do that it's got to move the ball across the defense's goal line and into the end zone for a touchdown. Each touchdown earns the offense 6 points. The touchdown is the primary way to score points - there are a few other ways, but we'll talk about those later. Most of the game runs like this: The two teams line up against each other on either side of an imaginary line. This imaginary line - the line of scrimmage - runs through the point on the field where the ball currently rests. The offense has four attempts to move the ball from the line of scrimmage to the defense's goal line. These attempts are called downs: first down, second down, and so on. If the offense manages to move the ball 10 or more yards closer to the defense's goal line, they get a new first down from the point where the ball came to rest. The teams now line up on the new line of scrimmage and the offense has four more attempts to move the ball ten or more yards. [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P61.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 61 ] If the offense either scores a touchdown or fails to gain ten yards in four downs, play passes to the other team, who become the offense and try to move the ball in the opposite direction - toward the other team's goal line. The game continues like this through four 15 minute quarters. THE KICKOFF The game begins with the visiting team kicking the ball from their 35 yard line toward the players of the home team. The home team catches the ball and runs toward the opponents' end zone. The kicking team pursues the player who caught the ball and tries to knock him to the ground, or tackle him. When the player carrying the ball is tackled or runs out of bounds (off the edge of the field), play stops and the referee marks the spot at which it happened. This is known as spotting the ball, and play resumes from here. The team that kicked the ball is the defense, and the team that caught the ball is the offense. If the kick is caught in the end zone, the home team can touch the ball on the ground rather than run towards the center line. Known as a touchback, this action automatically sets the line of scrimmage on the 20 yard line. THE SCRIMMAGE Before each play begins, the two teams get in a circle - that is, they huddle - to discuss tactics. The offense plans a strategy intended to get the ball at least ten yards closer to the defense's goal line; the defense tries to anticipate the offense's plan of action and arrange their players in such a way as to prevent the offense from ganing yardage. An important thing to remember about American football is that even though each team has only 11 players out on the field, there are actually 45 players per team. Depending on the offensive or defensive strategy chosen, different players are brought out. For example, if your team is the offense and you think that the only chance you have of gaining yardage is with a long pass, you want to bring out a lot of players that can run fast and catch well. Once a play has been chosen, the teams line up opposite each other along the line of scrimmage in formation. The formation varies depending on the strategy selected. Between the two teams, along the line of scrimmage, is a neutral zone the length of the football. If a player from either side enters this area before the ball is brought into play, an offsides penalty is called and five yards are taken from the offending team. NOTE: Defense may enter the neutral zone with no penalty on two conditions: 1. They touch no offensive players, and 2. They return to the defensive side before the ball is snapped. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 62 ] THE SNAP The quarterback is the player in charge who calls the plays for the offense. On the quarterback's instructions, the offensive player holding the ball - known as the center - snaps the ball back to the quarterback. At this point, the ball is considered 'in play'. Players from both teams can cross the neutral zone and all breaks loose on the field. The offense must now physically move the ball toward the defense's goal line. There are two ways to do this. The most obvious way is to carry the ball toward the goal line. This is known as a running play. the other method is to throw the ball forward to another player. They call this a passing play. Only one forward pass can be made per play. It can be passed to another player after this, but only if the player is level with or behind the passer. OFFENSE: RUNNING PLAYS Once the quarterback receives the snap, he can hand or pass the ball to another player behind the line of scrimmage, who then attempts to weave his way through the defense toward the goal line. Alternately, he can choose to run with the ball himself. The defense tries to tackle the guy with the ball or force him out of bounds. If they succeed, the spot where the ball became 'out of play' is marked. This point is then compared with the original line of scrimmage. If 10 yards or more have been gained, a new first down is awarded. If less than 10 yards have been gained, the ball is spotted at its new yardage line and the next down is declared. After each play, the current down and the number of yeards needed to get another down are announced. For example, say it's the first down and the defense tackles the ballcarrier four yards in front of the original line of scrimmage. The next play would be described as 'second and six,' indicating that the offense was on its second down and now needed six yards to gain a new first down. The offense can also lose yardage. For instance, if the defense tackled the ballcarrier three yeards behind the original line of scrimmage, the next play would be described as 'second and thirteen.' The most common type of running play is the handoff, in which the quarterback literally places the ball in the hands of another player who is sprinting toward the defense's end zone. Another type of running play is the pitchout, in which the quarterback tosses the ball underhand to a player running wide toward the edge of the field. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 63 ] OFFENSE: PASSING PLAYS In passing plays, the quarterback throws the ball overhand to a receiver who attempts to catch it. If the receiver manages to catch the ball, he puts his head down and runs like hell toward the defense's goal line. If he's already in the end zone, it's a touchdown. When performing a passing play, the quarterback waits for the snap and then drops back into an area known as the pocket - a momentarily safe area craeted by blockers, who are keeping the big defensive guys off him while he scans the field for a suitably placed receiver. Of course, dropping back into the pocket alerts every guy in the defensive front line that a pass is about to go down, so they try to blast through the offensive blockers, hoping to reach the quarterback or at least upset his throw. This is known as a pass rush. If the quarterback can't find an open receiver, he may have to makea run for it to avoid being tackled. This last ditch attempt to gain a few yards is called a scramble. If the defense does manage to tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage, it's called a sack. getting sacked is a quarterback's worst nightmare. A pass is declared complete when the receiver clearly has the ball in his possession - not in and out of his hands like a wet fish - and both his feet are within the boundries of the field. If the ball isn't caught, then the pass is declared incomplete and the ball is spotted at its last position. For example, say the offense is on its second down with twelve yards to go. If their pass is incomplete, the ball is spotted again and play resumes at 'third and twelve.' Occasionally a player on the defense manages to catch a ball thrown by the offense. This is known as an interception. As soon as a ball is intercepted, the defense immediately becomes the offense and is free to run the ball toward the opposite goal line. It's against the rules for a player to impede another player - offense or defense - who is trying to make a catch. When this occurs, pass interference is called. If the defender interfers with an offensive receiver, the ball is spotted at the point where the interference occured and the offense is given an automatic first down. If an offensive player interfers with a defensive receiver, a 10 yard penalty is given against the offense - that is, the ball is spotted 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. PUNTS On the fourts down, the offensive team can choose to kick (punt) the ball toward the opponent's goal line. The center snaps the ball back about 15 yards from the line of scrimmage to the punter, who then kicks the ball into the defense's half as if it were a kickoff. The defense catches and takes possession of the ball, thus becoming the offense. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 64 ] Punting is particularly useful when the offense is struck down on its half of the field and they don't think they can get a new first down. A long punt can drive the opposing team deep into their own territory and make it more difficult for them to gain enough yardage to score. The offense can also fake a punt - the punter makes like he's going to kick, but at the last moment throws the ball to an open receiver or hands the ball to a fullback. DEFENSE: GAINING POSSESSION The defensive team has two goals in mind. The immediate goal is to keep the offense from gaining territory, making first downs, and scoring touchdowns. Keeping the offense at bay through four downs isn't easy, so the defense's secondary goal is to take possession of the ball and become the offense. This can be achieved by turnovers. One type of turnover, mentioned earlier, is the pass interception. The other is the fumble, when the offense accidentally drops the ball. If a defensive player manages to pick up or recover a fumbled ball, he's considered to have possession of the ball and is free to run it toward the opposing team's goal line. AUDIBLES AND TIME OUTS Once each team has called it offensive or defensive play, it lines up on the line of scrimmage. At this point, they try to guess the other team's strategy from the types of players they have on the field and the kind of formation they're in. The quarterback or defensive lineman who calls the plays may decide that the play or formation he chose is inappropriate, given the apparent strategy of the opposing team. When this happens, there are two kinds of last minute changes he can make. First, he can call an audible. An audible is a special pre-arranged play associated with a particular combination of numbers and words. It might be a trick offensive play or a defensive rush. By audibly calling out code words or numbers before the ball is snapped, the quarterback or linebacker alerts the team that the special play is replacing the one previously called. If the coach decides he needs a complete change of fomration, he can call a time out. During time outs, the game clock is stopped and the teams have 90 seconds to reorganize the play from scratch. Each team has three time outs during a half. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 65 ] SCORING POINTS We've already mentioned the touchdown, but there are other ways to score, too. After a touchdown, the offense attempts to make a point after tocuhdown (PAT). The ball is spotted on the three yard line and snapped back about seven yards or so to a holder. The holder places the ball on the ground and orients it for the kicker, who attempts to kick it over the cross bar and between the goal posts. A successful PAT gives the offense 1 point. The offense can also score from a normal down by kicking a field goal. This is rarely attempted from further out than 40 yards. It takes exactly the same for as a PAT: the center snaps to a holder, who orients the ball for the kicker. A successful field goal gives the offense 3 points. If the attempted field goal is unsuccessful, the defense takes possession of the ball at the spot where the kick was attempted. The defense can also score in a situation known as a safety. This occurs when a defensive player tackles the ballcarrier in the offense's own end zone. This earns the defense two points. THE TEAMS Each team consists of a pool of 45 players, any 11 of which are on the field at the same time. Each team has a number of different 11-man configurations, divided into offensive defensive, and special teams. The latter are used mainly for kicking plays - kickoffs, field goals, punts and PATs. Though there are many possible variations, a typical lineup can be divided into three main categories: Linemen (or offensive line) A center flanked by two guards, in turn flanked by two tackles. The tackles protect the bakcs from defensive rushes. Receivers Two wide receivers and tight end at one end of the line. The wide receivers are usually fast and handy, while the tight end is a bigger and heavier receiver who can act as a blocker if necessary. Backfield The quarterback and two running backs (halfbacks, fullbacks, or both). The quarterback is the boss, calling the plays, doing most of the ball handling, passing, and even running occasionally. The fullback is the heaviest offensive back on the field, generally used for short running plays and -------------------------------------------------------------[ 66 ] protecting the quarterback. The halfback is a multi-function player who can run, block, receive, or even pass when necessary. The defensive lineup can also be divided into three categories: Defensive Line Three or four big defenders, consisting of one or two tackles flanked by two ends. It's their job to block running plays through the center and rush the quarterback. Linebackers Three or four multi-purpose defenders who can chase runners or drop back to defend against passes. In a blitz defense, the linebackers may also rush the offensive line. Defensive Backs Four back line defenders, consisting of two safeties flanked by two cornerbacks. The defensive backs guard the area behind the linebackers called the secondary. They're the last line of defense against running backs and receivers. [SEE JOHNMADDEN-P67.IFF] -------------------------------------------------------------[ 67 ] APPENDIX B: CONTROL SUMMARY You control the player standing on the 4-arrow symbol. Move the joystick in the direction you want the player to run. DEFENSE KICKOFF Tap FIRE Start kick and bring up Kick Meter Joystick Right Control next plare in team Joystick Left Control previous player in team Jostick Up Alet team to audible Once team is alerted to audible: Joystick Left Normal formation Joystick Up Normal formation Joystick Right Onside formation Using the Kick Meter: Joystick Left Aim kick to left side of screen Joystick Right Aim kick to right side of screen Tap FIRE Freeze Power Level and execute kick SELECTING FORMATIOSN AND PLAYS Joystick Left Scroll plays left Joyctick Right Scroll plays right Joyctick Down Go to parent Formation or Set Hold FIRE, Select Window A Joystick Left, Release FIRE Hold FIRE, Select Window B Joystick Up, Release FIRE -------------------------------------------------------------[ 68 Hold FIRE, Select Window C Joystick Right, Release FIRE OFFENSE - BEFORE THE SNAP Joystick Down Fake the snap Tap FIRE Snap the ball Joystick Up Alert team to audible When team is alerted to audible: Joystick Left Trick play Joystick Up Anti-Blitz play Joystick Right Running play OFFENSE - RUNNING PLAY Joystick in any Control ballcarrier direction Tap FIRE, Ballcarrier dives in direction held Joystick in any direction Hold FIRE, Gives ballcarrier extra umph Joystick in any direction Joystick centered Ballcarrier spins Tap Fire OFFENSE - PASSING PLAY Joystick in any Control Quarterback direction Joystick Left, Quarterback dives in direction held Right, or Up, Tap FIRE Joystick centered Quarterback spins Tap FIRE Joystick Down, Bring up Passing Windows Tape FIRE -------------------------------------------------------------[ 69 ] When the Passing Windows are up: Hold Fire, Joystick Left, Select Window A Release FIRE Hold FIRE, Joystick Up, Select Window B Release FIRE Hold FIRE. Joystick Right, Select Window C Release FIRE Controlling the receiver once the ball is thrown: Tap FIRE, Joystick in Dive for ball in direction held any direction Hold FIRE, Joystick in Jump for ball ind irection held DEFENSE - BEFORE TH SNAP Hold DIRE, Joystick Left Change player under control or Right Joystick in any direction Control player Hold Fire, Joystick Down Anticipate the snap Hold FIRE, Joystick Up Alert team to audible When team is alerted to audible: Joystick Left Anti-Run play Joystick Up Blitz play Joystick Right Stunt play -------------------------------------------------------------[ 70 ] DEFENSE - AFTER THE SNAP Joystick in any direction Control player Tap FIRE Change control to player closest to the ballcarrier Hold FIRE, Joystick in any Jump to block or catch or dive to direction make a tackle When player is in contact with the offensive ballcarrier, you can tap FIRE to try to strip the ball and cause a fumble. KEYBOARD CONTROL The following keys emulate joystick control Z, X Left, right /, ' Down, up Return Fire MISCELLANEOUS KEYS F1 Pause Player 1 F10 Pause Player 2 Shift-Esc Escape to menu When in Pause mode, tapping FIRE calls a Time Out for the player's team. -------------------------------------------------------------[ 71 ] CREDITS FOR THE AMIGA VERSION Programming: Gary Roberts Static Artwork, EASN Intro, and Title: Carl Cropley Player Sprites: Martin Calvert Music & Sound Effects: Jason A.S. Whitely Producer: Kevin Shrapnell & Jack Falk Assistant Producer: Scott Probin Testing: John Roberts, Matt Webster & Michael Lubuguin Technical Assistance: Colin McLaughlan Product Manager: Susan Goerss Package Design: William Gin Package Art Direction: Nancy Waisanen Package Photography: David Powers and Don Transeth Quality Assurance: Bill Romer Amiga Documentation Revision: Tim Ponting & David Luoto Manual Layout: Jennie Maruyama Screenshot Photography: Frank Wing About Gary Roberts Gary started programming at college, where he did his A levels in Computer Science, Maths, technology and Electronics and wrote some games that gave plumbing problems to various networks and almost got him thrown out. After college, it was on to the university, where he got a degree and some placements he'd rather gorget about. Then IBM snatched him up and made him work on a CD-ROM-based ray-tracing multi-media project and some other things with lots of hyphens in them. During this time of collars, ties and corporate lunches, he worked on something called Pink Floyd: The Wall, now the Numero Uno demo on the Amiga. He also wrote a game for the Amiga called TANX, which was published on Amiga Computing and Amiga Action. It was this kind of stuff that got the attention of Electronic Arts and their score of roving talent scouts. That, and the 231 CVs he sent us. When Gary isn't sweating over other hot Amiga conversions, you'll find him flying models, gliding in various contraption, and basking in the worship of adoring females. As he blithely sums up: "It's a life." -------------------------------------------------------------[ 72 ] ORIGINAL JOHN MADDEN FOOTBALL CREDITS Programmed by Jim Simmons Graphics by Steve Quinn, At Alvia & Brian OHara Production Assistance by Troy Lyndon & Michael Knox for the Park Palace roduction Team John Madden Football designed by John Madden, Scott Orr & Richard Hilleman for Electronic Arts Documentation: R.J. Berg -------------------------------------------------------------[ 73 ]