ABC Monday Night Football

1991 MVP Sports

Manual
Playing ABC's Monday Night Football on the Amiga is essentially the same as playing on an IBM PC. Refer to the ABC's Monday Night Football Instruction Guide for information on the Main Menu, Joystick Controls,Controlling Play Action, Offensive and Defensive Play selection and the Playmaker Utility. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS TO PLAY ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON AN AMIGA,YOU NEED: 1 MB RAM A disk drive A color monitor One or two joysticks(For one or two-player mode) GETTING STARTED Before loading Monday Night Football,we recommend that you make backup copies of each disk.(Refer to your owner's manual for instructions on copying disk.) Make sure the copies are named Camera 1,Camera 2,and Camera 3,and not Copy of Camera 1,etc. Put the original game disks in a safe place and use the copies. LOADING FLOPPY DISKS: NOTE:AMIGA 1000 owners will need to load KickStart first. 1. Insert the Camera 1 disk into DF0:floppy drive(usually internal.) 2. Turn on your computer. 3. The game will now automatically load and run. HARD DISK INSTALLATION: 1. Boot your computer and load the Workbench. 2. Insert the Camera 1 disk,and double-click on its disk icon. 3. Double-click on the icon named HDinstall. 4. When prompted,type a path name in quotes,for example: "DH0:Monday" 5. Press RETURN. The game will now be installed. 6. Insert the disks into the floppy drive when prompted. 1 PLAYING FROM THE HARD DISK: 1. Double-click on the drive where the game is installed. 2. Double-click to open the Monday folder. 3. Double-click on the MNF icon. 4. The game will now load and run. COPY PROTECTION After the opening graphics,a security guard asks you for a password. On the screen will be the words PASS CODE and a number representing a page in the manual. Turn to the page and find the football jersey at the bottom of the page. The jersey has a number on it. That is your password. Type in that number and the seurity guard will let you into the stadium. Here's an example. The guard asks you for a password and the pass code on the screen is 22. Turn to page 22 and type the number on the jersey at the bottom of the page. (In this case the number is 60.) Please note:Each time you start the game you will be given a different password. Next the Game Selection menu will pop up. THE GAME SELECTION MENU YOU NOW SELECT AMONG THESE PLAY MODES: 1. One Gamer Practice 2. One Gamer Exhibition vs. Computer 3. Two Gamer Exhibition Head to Head 4. Two Gamer Exhibition Teammates 5. One to Four Gamer Playoffs 6. One to Ten Gamer Playoffs 7. Demo mode 8. Exit to DOS TO SELECT:Move the joystick UP or DOWN to move the cursor next to the number you wish to select. Now hit the FIRE button to make your selection. THE TEAM SELECTION MENU You select from teams in 28 cities,just like the Pros. Move the Joystick UP or DOWN to move the cursor next to the name of the team you wish to select. Hit the FIRE button to make your selection.

THE MAIN MENU To get into the Main Menu,hit the ESC key when the Scoreboard is on the screen. You are then given a choice of taking a TIMEOUT or going into the MAIN MENU. 2 The Main Menu gives you the following options: 1. Quarter Length 2. Playmaker Utility 3. Team Modification Utility 4. Interface Options 5. New Game 6. Return to Game 7. Exit to DOS PAUSE To pause the game at any time,hit the ESC key. Hit the key again to resume play where you left off. ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DOCS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SOUTHERN STAR WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF RAP. MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL INSTRUCTION GUIDE FOR THE IBM PC PW=54 1 PW=91 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:20 YEARS OLD AND RUNNING STRONG ABC SPORTS BROADCAST TEAM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS THE MENU SELECTIONS HOW TO USE THE SONY SPORTBOOK JOYSTICK CONTROLS KEYBOARD CONTROLS KEYPAD CONTROLS LIGHTS! CAMERA! KICKOFF! CONTROLLING PLAY ACTION THE PLAY SELECTION SCREEN OFFENSIVE PLAY SELECTION OFFENSIVE PLAYBOOK DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING DEFENSIVE PLAYBOOK ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL STRATEGY PLAYMAKER UTILITY:INVENT YOUR OWN PLAYS THE KICKING GAME THE SCOREBOARD FUMBLES INTERCEPTIONS INJURIES LEAGUE PLAY PENALTIES AND OFFICIAL SIGNALS TIPS AND HINTS FOR PLAYING BETTER FOOTBALL ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME A FOOTBALL TUTORIAL:HOW TO BECOME A PRIME-TIME PLAYER ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TRIVIA GAME AT HALFTIME THE ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PLAYERS FOOTBALL TERMS AT A GLANCE PW=83 3 INTRODUCTION Congratulations! You have just purchased the most exciting,technologically advanced football game available. ABC's Monday Night Football gives you football action like you've never seen before! This is the only game that takes you from the bright lights of the announcer's booth to the gut-wrenching action on the field. As Frank Gifford calls the action,you play the game in the trenches with the roar of the crowd all around you. You're the quarterback,a field marshall directing his troops. You call out the signals,the center snaps 4 5 7 8 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 23 25 27 28 29 35 37 41 42 42 43 43 44 46 48 50 53 54 58

the ball and all hell breaks loose. You can feel the hits and hear the grunts as your All-Pro offensive linemen battle against your opponent's front line. You scramble back to escape an oncoming defensive linemen. You quickly check the defense,lock onto your intended receiver and release the ball a split second before being leveled. The ball zips toward its mark. Now you're the receiver who's put some fancy moves on the defensive back. You've got him by a step,but can you get to the ball? You run with everything you've got,leaping high with arms outstretched. Never taking your eyes off the ball for a second,you bring down the football safely tucked into your chest. Touchdown! It's just another play on the most thrilling sports game ever,ABC's Monday Night Football! From the cheerleaders on the sidelines to the infamous blimp,you'll get the true experience of an ABC's Monday Night Football game. Now it's time to play some defense. As the defensive coordinator of your team,you set the formations and you call the plays. You've got to outsmart your opponent by anticipating his moves and countering them with your brilliant defense. Calling that corner blitz can make you look like a genius when you stuff your opponent's run. But you better hope he doesn't go for a long bomb or you'll get burned! It's all part of the high strategy and high stakes of ABC's Monday Night Football! This manual has been designed to help you get the most out of ABC's Monday Night Football. If you're a football rookie,we'll teach you the game. If you're a seasoned veteran,we'll make you better. So put on your helmet and get ready for the opening kickoff. But first,a few pre-game activities... PW=96 4 ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:20 YEARS OLD AND RUNNING STRONG At the time it seemed like a hugh gamble. On September 21,1970,ABC television took the risk of broadcasting an NFL football game on Prime Time and on a weekday. Nervous TV executives hoped people would tune in. But when the New York Jets lined up against the Cleveland Browns on that fateful Monday night,no one dreamed that ABC's Monday Night Football would become not only a smash hit, but an American Institution. Over the course of the next few years,ABC's Monday Night Football changed the habits of the nation. For 20 years now,millions of Americans have planned their Monday nights around ABC's Monday Night Football. Restaurants and bars created Monday Night Football parties for their patrons. Bowling leagues changed nights and women's groups held their meetings on Monday nights so their husbands could watch the game. In 1980,even a Presidential Debate was changed from Monday to avoid the conflict! Amazingly,even the crime went down every Monday night across the nation because of ABC's Monday Night Football. Tuesday mornings the main subject of conversation around the office water cooler was what happened the night before on ABC's Monday Night Football. And the action on the field? Pumped up by their prime time exposure,players responded by giving us some of the most incredible and memorable plays in the history of the National Football League. Who could forget those stirring Raider comebacks? On a 1988 ABC's Monday Night Football game,the Los Angeles Raiders got behind the Denver Broncos 24-0. They came roaring back to tie the game and then win it in overtime,30-27. Ten years ago,renegade Raider quarterback Kenny Stabler threw three touchdown passes to bring his team back from a 35-14 defecit to a 42-35 win in the final moments. Players like Tony Dorsett,Earl Campbell and Refrigerator Perry became football legends because of their stunning performances on ABC's Monday Night Football. PW=12 5 ABC'S Monday Night Football was unique in another way,too. It was the first football show to have three announcers and the stars in the broadcast booth have shined as brightly as the stars on the field. People tune in to hear

what they have to say to each other as much as to hear what they have to say about the game. The current broadcasters,Frank Gifford,Al Michaels and Dan Dierdorf,have the show running like a finely tuned automobile at full throttle. Now,in this 20th anniversary season,a new American tradition begins:ABC's Monday Night Football computer software game. For the first time,all the excitement and action of ABC's Monday Night Football has been captured for you. You don't have to just watch those superstars in action;now you can become one! 6 ABC SPORTS BROADCAST TEAM BEHIND THE SCENES WITH FRANK,AL AND DAN The ABC Monday Night Football broadcast is so smooth and professional that what they do may look easy. It isn't. Imagine trying to learn over 80 new players every week,memorize their names and remember their strengths and weaknesses. But that's what these guys have to do. Even though only 22 players are on the field at any one time,modern football is a game of constant substitution. Coaches make full use of their 47 men rosters. New players come in all the time. For example,if a coach thinks the other team will be attempting a pass,he may send in a pass specialist to replace a rushing specialist. Frank,Al and Dan have to stay on top of that at all times. Days before the game,they begin studying films of the two teams,they interview coaches and players to find out who's healthy and who's injured and get hints about the coaches' strategies. After all the hours or preparation,finally it's game time. The director counts down the seconds and then it's Show Time! During the game,ABC uses as many as 12 cameras to get all the action from every angle. "Spotters" help Frank,Dan and Al quickly identify different players. And you may have noticed those headsets they wear during the game. While they're talking to you over the air, ABC directors are talking to them through those headsets. They may be telling them how long until the next commercial or advising them on what to say. Have you ever tried to talk while someone's blabbing in your ear? It's not easy. PW=93 7 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS To play ABC's Monday Night Football on an IBM PC,you need: An IBM PC,XT,AT,PS/2,Tandy 1000 Series or any 100% IBM compatible machine. At least 512K RAM Single Floppy drive(either 5 1/4" or 3 1/2" drive) Hercules Monochrome,CGA,EGA,VGA,or Tandy 16-color graphics mode MS DOS or compatible DOS(version 2.0 or greater) Joystick(one or two Joysticks)or keyboard control.(Joystick recommended) Hard drive recommended,not required LOADING INSTRUCTIONS: There are two ways to load the program into your computer. You can play from floppy disks 1-6(5 1/4" version);disks 1-3(3 1/2" version);or you can install ABC's Monday Night Football onto your hard drive. To install ABC's Monday Night Football on a hard disk drive,do the following: Turn on your computer. If your hard drive is drive C,the C:> should appear. Insert Camera(Disk)1 into disk drive A. Type: A:(Enter) Type: INSTALLC (Enter) When the ABC's Monday Night Football Hard Drive Installation screen comes up, press any key. This will install Camera(disk)1 onto your hard drive. It will also create a directory called MONDAY on your C drive. When the Camera(disk)1 installation is complete,remove the disk and insert Camera(disk)2. Press any key to install. Continue this process with Cameras(Disks)3,4,5,and 6. After you have installed Camera 6,type C:(Enter). Then type CD MONDAY(Enter). Your DOS prompt should look like C:\MONDAY. PW=76 8

If you are installing the game on anything other than drive C,you must do the following(For our purposes here,we will call it D drive): Make sure you are attached to the D directory. To do this type d:(Enter) Type CD\ (Enter)which tells DOS to go to the root directory. Use the MKDIR command to create a directory for ABC's Monday Night Football. Type MKDIR MONDAY(Enter) Make ABC's Monday Night Football the current directory by typing CD MONDAY (Enter) Your DOS prompt should now look like this:D:\Monday> You now want to copy all of the ABC's Monday Night disks to this directory. Insert Camera(disk)1 into the A drive and type copy A:*.*(Enter) When the DOS prompt returns on the screen,repeat this procedure for cameras (disks)2,3,4,5 and 6(5-1/4")and camera 2 and 3(3-1/2"). IMPORTANT:BEFORE PLAYING ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PLEASE BACK UP YOUR ORIGINAL DISKS. CONSULT YOUR DOS MANUAL ON HOW TO USE THE DISK COPY COMMAND. To start ABC's Monday Night Football using the floppy disks(called Cameras in this manual),boot your computer using MS-DOS or PC-DOS. Insert Camera 1 into the A Drive. Be sure to insert the Camera with the label facing upward. If the A:>prompt is not on the screen,type A: and press the ENTER key. Type MONDAY and press the ENTER key. The first time you play the game,you need to configure the game so it works optimally with your computer system. The screen will prompt you to make the following choices: You first select the graphics mode for the machine you're using. You can select among:CGA,EGA,TGA(for most Tandy computers),VGA or Monochrome.(NOTE:Do not select the TGA graphics mode if you are playing on a Tandy computer that supports EGA.) Then Players 1 and 2 select their game control modes. Both players can use joysticks. One can use a joystick and the other the keyboard or keypad,or one can use the keyboard and the other the keypad. If you select the joystick,the screen will prompt you to adjust your joystick. Most joysticks have horizontal and vertical control adjustments. The initial calibration screen will request that you adjust these to the lowest number PW=9 9 larger than 20. Follow the directions on the screen by moving the joystick in requested directions and then hitting the FIRE button. This process guarantees that your football players' movements will be precisely calibrated for your joystick. You can speed up or slow down all the game's sounds - from Frank Gifford's voice to the referees calling penalties. If you speed it up enought,the voices will sound like chipmunks. To adjust the voices,press the + or - keys to speed up or slow down the sound. Then press ENTER to set the sound speed. Any time during the game you wish to further adjust the sounds,you can do so by pressing the + or - keys whenever the scoreboard screen is up. In the setup screens you will also be given the option to have the Cheerleaders /Trivia Game camera(disk) On or Off. If you're playing from floppy disks instead of a hard drive,you can cut down on disk access time and disk swapping time if you select Camera Off. IMPORTANT:WHENEVER YOU PLAY ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON A NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM,YOU MUST RECONFIGURE YOUR GAME SETUP. TO DO THIS INSERT CAMERA 1 INTO THE DISK DRIVE,ATTACH TO THE DRIVE THAT CAMERA 1 IS IN AND TYPE ERASE SETGAME WHEN THE INITIAL A:> IN ON THE SCREEN.(CONSULT YOUR DOS MANUAL ON HOW TO ERASE FILES IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.) THE SCREEN PROMPTS WILL THEN LEAD YOU AGAIN THROUGH THE SETUP CONFIGURATION. Another way to reconfigure your game setup is to press SPACE BAR after he initial execution of the program. In other words,when you're loading the program,hit SPACEBAR after you type MONDAY and press ENTER. After the opening graphics,a security guard asks you for a password. On the screen will be the words PASS CODE and a number representing a page in this manual. The monochrome version will only display the page number. Turn to that page and find the football jersey at the bottom of the page. The jersey has a number on it. That is your password. Type in that number and the security guard will let you into the stadium.

Here's an example. The guard asks you for a password and the pass code on the screen is 22. Turn to page 22 and type the number on the jersey at the bottom of the page.(In this case the number is 60) Please note:Each time you start the game you will be given a different password. Next the Game Selection menu will pop up. Select your game and press ENTER. If the game you have selected requires teams to be selected,then the Team Selection menu will pop up. Use the arrow keys and the ENTER key to pick your team. Just like the pros,there are 28 teams. Every pro city is represented on ABC's Monday Night Football. PW=78 10 To get into the Main Menu,hit the ESCAPE key when the Scoreboard is on the screen. You are then given the choice of taking a timeout for either team(each team gets 3 timeouts per half)or going into the Main Menu. Timeouts can also be called during the game play by pressing the F1 key for Player 1,and the F10 key for Player 2. The Main Menu gives you the following options: 1. Quarter Length 2. Playmaker Utility 3. Team Modification Utility 4. Interface Options 5. New Game 6. Return to Game 7. Exit to DOS To make a selection,use the ARROW key to select the option you want and hit the ENTER key. Or use the number keys on the keyboard to punch in the desired number and hit the ENTER key. Here's a rundown of the menu options: 1. Quarter Length. You can select between 5,10 or 15 minute quarters. 2. Playmaker Utility. You select this option to create your own plays from scratch. In addition to the 30-play standard playbook that comes with ABC's Monday Night Football,the Playmaker Utility enables you to create unlimited offensive plays of your own. This can really give you a leg up on the competition! To find out how this works,turn to the Playmaker Utility cahpter starting on page 35. 3. Team Modification Utility. You can select a new team,change your team's colors or the athletic ability of every member of your starting lineup as well as the reserves. To Change Teams or Colors:Scroll through the teams or colors using the UP and DOWN arrow keys and then press ENTER. Or use the number keys on the keyboard to select your team and then press ENTER. The Team Modification menu allows you to change the athletic ability of all your important players. This enables you to set up your team's strengths and weaknesses. If you're the kind of guy that loves the passing game,you can create a quarterback with a great arm and receivers with hands like glue. Maybe you want to pattern your defense after the great Chicago Bears defense of 1985. No problem. You can give your guys great rushing and coverage ability. PW=24 11 There's just one catch. Just like in real life,in order to get something,you usually have to give something up. Whenever you increase a player's ability in one football skill,you automatically decrease a different skill. For example,if you make your quarterback a great passer,he's not going to be a great runner. A defensive back who's great at pass coverage will be weak at tackling. Here's how it works:Every offensive and defensive player(except linemen,which are rated as a group)will be rated on two skills. The two skills make a combined total of 5. For example,if you give your quarterback a 4 rating for passing,he'll get a 1 for running. If you give him a 2 for passing,he'll get a 3 for running. The highest rating you can give a player is 4;the lowest rating is 1. On offense,the football skills that are paried are: QUARTERBACK: RUNNING PASSING

FULLBACK: HALFBACK: LEFT WIDE RECEIVER: RIGHT WIDE RECEIVER: TIGHT END: OFFENSIVE LINEMEN:

RUNNING RUNNING RUNNING RUNNING RUNNING RUN BLOCKING

HANDLING HANDLING RECEIVING RECEIVING RECEIVING PASS BLOCKING

On defense,the football skills that are paired are: MIDDLE LINEBACKER: COVERAGE TACKLING OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 1: COVERAGE TACKLING OUTSIDE LINEBACKER 2: COVERAGE TACKLING RIGHT CORNERBACK: COVERAGE TACKLING LEFT CORNERBACK: COVERAGE TACKLING STRONG SAFETY: COVERAGE TACKLING FREE SAFETY: COVERAGE TACKLING DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: RUN RUSHING PASS RUSHING If you make your quarterback a good passer,a greater percentage of his passes will be completed. But at the same time,he will get "sacked" or tackled more easily because his running ability won't be as great. However,if you make your quarterback a good runner,it will be more difficult for the defensive players to tackle him,so he'll be better at avoiding the pass rush and gaining yardage on the ground. PW=41 12 To change your players' football abilities,first use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to line up the flipping icon next to the player you want to adjust. Now use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to increase or decrease their skills. To save these selections for your team,at the Team Modification menu select the Save Changes option. 4. Interface Options. Use this option to change the Control Mode(joystick or keyboard),the Graphics Mode and the speed of the sound. These are discussed in the Loading instructions on page 8. HOW TO USE THE SONY SPORTBOOK If you want to use the Song SportBook and your 3-1/2" drive is drive A,you need to do the following: Load up and start the full ABC's Monday Night Football game. When the playcalling screen and scoreboard are displayed,press the ESCAPE key to go to the game menu. At the game menu,press 3,then ENTER to select the main menu. At the main menu,press 2,then ENTER to select the Playmaker Utility. From the Playmaker,select the Load Playbook function and follow the screen prompt to load your Song SportBook. With the Playmaker Utility you may now add another 18 plays to your playbook,or begin playing ABC's Monday Night Football with the existing 12 offensive Plays in the Sony SportBook. Consult the section on the Playmake Utility on how to create additional plays for ABC's Monday Night Football. NOTE:If you want to use the Sony SportBook and your 3-1/2" drive is drive B,you need to COPY B:PLAYBOOK A:PLAYBOOK(ENTER)after formatting a disk in drive A. Then you can follow the directions above to use your Sony SportBook. PW=95 13 JOYSTICK CONTROLS ABC's Monday Night Football can be played with one or two players and one or two joysticks. One player can play against the computer,two player teammates can play against the computer,or two players can go head to head against each other. Joysticks A and B are controlled as follows: The player you're controlling will run in the direction you point your joystick:Left,Right,Up,Down,Up/Left,Up/Right,Down/Left and Down/Right. (DIAGRAM) JOYSTICK BUTTON:Hold down joystick button to scroll through receivers. Release button to SELECT receiver you want. Press quickly and then let up on button to

PASS.(See section of Keypad Controls for Handing Off.) You also hit the button for PUNTS,FIELD GOALS and EXTRA POINTS.(See chapter on Controlling Play Action for complete details.) PW=40 14 KEYBOARD CONTROLLS You can use the keyboard keys to control your player's movements as follows: Q Up and Left W Up E Up and Right A Left S Stop D Right Z Down and Left X Down C Down and Right The SPACE BAR and SHIFT keys perform the same function as the joystick button: Hold either of those keys down to scroll through possible receivers. Quickly hit either of these keys to pass,handoff or kick the ball. For Play Selection(explained in next section),hold down the A key for a SHORT play,the S key for a MEDIUM play or the D key for a LONG play,simultaneously while pressing the SPACE BAR or left SHIFT key to select that play. To scroll through your playbook,hit the W key to scroll forward or the X key to scroll back. PW=28 15 KEYPAD CONTROLS The Keypad controls your player's running as follows: 7 Up and Left 8 Up 9 Up and Right 4 Left 5 Stop 6 Right 1 Down and Left 2 Down 3 Down and Right Selecting and Passing to Receivers:The INSERT key(0 key on keypad)performs the same functions as the joystick button:Hold down INSERT key to scroll through receivers. Release INSERT key to select receiver. If your intended receiver is covered,you can hold down the INSERT key again to scroll through receivers again. Quickly hit the INSERT to pass. Handing Off and Lateralling to Running Backs:As the quarterback calls out the plays at the line of scrimmage,hold left(4 key)or right(6 key)and hold button (INSERT key)as he yells "HUT". The ball will be given to the running back who is in the direction you have selected. Making Play Selections(explained in Play Selection section of this manual):To make a play selection,hold down the "4" key for a SHORT play,the "5" key for a MEDIUM play or the "6" key for a LONG play,simultaneously while pressing the INSERT key to select that play. To scroll through your playbook,hit the "8" key to scroll forward and the "2" key to scroll back. PW=16 16 LIGHTS! CAMERA! KICKOFF! Just like the real ABC's Monday Night Football,the action on the field begins with the kickoff. The sports blimp gives you a breathtaking aerial view and the excitement builds. The computer randomly picks the teams the kickoff.(The other team will automatically receive the kickoff to begin the second half). The camera then takes you to the field behind the kicking team as the ball is lofed into the air. After the ball is kicked,the screen perspectives changes to the Kick Return Specialist. On offense,you control the ball carrier as soon as he catches the ball. You begin to run upfield,left,right or diagonally by pushing your joystick in

directions you wish to go. With a burst of speed and a few good cuts,maybe you can run it back all the way for a touchdown. But the entire defense will be swarming all over you and will do their best to smash you into the ground. On defense you control the one player closest to the ball carrier and the computer controls the rest of the team.(Once the ball carrier is tackled or runs out of bounds,the whistle blows,the ball is spotted and the two teams go into a huddle as the Scoreboard and Play Selection screens come up.)You are now ready to begin play from scrimmage. PW=82 17 CONTROLLING PLAY ACTION OFFENSE After you and your opponent have selected plays,your players all come to the line of scrimmage. You're about to receive the snap,so you might want to think about those great Monday nigh performances by quarterbacks over the past 20 years. Terry Bradshaw going long to Lynn Swann. Joe Montana threading the needle to Jerry Rice in heavy coverage. You,too,can achieve football immortality throught ABC's Monday Night Football. As the teams come to the line of scrimmage,you now see the field from the quarterback's point of view. The quarterback automatically calls the signals, and the center will snap the ball when "hike" is called by the quarterback. Since the play doesn't begin until the ball moves,you have to be ready at any time for the ball to be snapped. As soon as the ball is hiked,you ARE the quarterback. One of the great features of ABC's Monday Night Football is how easy it is to check off possible receivers and then pass or handoff the ball to one of them. Here's how it's done:When your team comes to the line of scrimmage,and throughout the play action,there is a row of 6 HELMET ICONS on the bottom of your screen. These helmets are labeled with the letters representing these different players on your team: 1. QUARTERBACK:QB 4. LEFT WIDE RECEIVER:LWR 2. HALFBACK:HB 5. TIGHT END:TE 3. FULLBACK:FB 6. RIGHT WIDE RECEIVER:RWR As soon as you get the ball and start to move back th throw,HOLD DOWN the joystick button. This enables you to scroll through the different players. As you scroll through the possible receivers,you will see a different helmet highlighted one at a time. The highlighted helmet changes color. When the player you want to pass to is highlighted,RELEASE the joystick button to SELECT that receiver's point of view. PW=56 18 (Remember,all great quarterbacks need to anticipate who their receiver is going to be.)As soon as you release the button,the screen point of view changes to the receiver. Your joystick movements now control that receiver,not the quarterback. The computer is now controlling the quarterback's movements. You can see if the receiver is covered by a defender or in the open. To PASS to a receiver,quickly tap the joystick button once. If your intended receiver is covered and you want to pass to another player,don't tap the joystick button yet. Instead,HOLD DOWN the joystick button again to scroll through the other receivers. But remember,just like in real football,you don't have all day. If you're facing a team with a great pass rush like Chicago's "46" defense,you're going to get sacked if you don't throw the ball! If no one's open,you can always cycle back to the Quarterback helmet icon and run the ball yourself or tap the button to throw it out of bounds. A play might unfold like this:You receive the snap from the center and hold down the joystick button to cycle through possible receivers. When the left wide receiver(LWR)helmet is highlighted,you release the button and the screen now shows the wide receiver completely in the open. You hit the button to pass the ball and the receiver catches it. Using your joystick to control the receiver,you run it for a touchdown. Or maybe the ball is thrown wide to your right and you can't get to it. Incomplete pass. The whistle blows and both teams go back in the huddle to select the next play.

To make it easier for you to follow the action,the offensive player you control at any time is marked by a YELLOW TRIANGLE icon next to that player. The defensive player you're controlling is always the one nearest the player carrying the ball,and there's a YELLOW CIRCLE icon next to that player. Also, when choosing a receiver,that receiver is marked by a flashing yellow triangle. PW=48 19 To Automatically Select a Running Play:Whenever you hold down the joystick button BEFORE and during the ball snap,a handoff or lateral running play will be initiated to either the fullback or halfback,depending on the formation and the play selection. When you hold down the joystick button and move the joystick left or right,the ball is automatically handed off to the player that is running in the direction you point the joystick. If both backs are running in the same direction,the ball will is automatically handed off the the player running the widest. For example,suppose the fullback is running inside left and the halfback is running a sweep left. If you hold down the joystick button and move the joystick left as the ball is snapped,the ball will be handed to the halfback. If you move the joystick to the right while holding the joystick button,the ball will go to the fullback. One of the unique features of ABC's Monday Night Football is playing twoplayer teammates against the computer. When you play this way,you can use both joysticks to control two offensive or two defensive players at the same time. For example,one player will start out as quarterback and the other will be one of the receivers or running backs. When the quarterback selects a receiver,the second player becomes that receiver. If the receiver catches a pass and starts to run,the player who was the quarterback now becomes the player closest to the receiver with the ball. He can now block for his teammate to help him get more yardage. In this way,you are always involved in the play,as the joystick controls shift from the quarterback to the receiver to the blocker. PW=77 20 DEFENSE On DEFENSE,you control one player at a time. When you're playing one-player against the computer,or two-players head-to-head,the computer controls the rest of the team. You will know which man you control by the yellow circle icon. You start off controlling the nose tackle at the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is snapped you can rush across the line. But you can control any of the defensive linemen by hitting the joystick button. This will cycle through each of your defensive linemen by hitting the joystick button. This will cycle through each of your defensive linemen. Otherwise you will control the man closest to the ball. If it's a passing play,once the ball is passed,you become the defensive player nearest the intended receiver. If you're good,you can INTERCEPT the pass by getting to the ball before the receive does. Or you can TACKLE the receiver after he catches the ball and starts to run. If you hit the joystick button when playing defense,your player will dive. PW=36 21 THE PLAY SELECTION SCREEN You call the plays on ABC's Monday Night Football. Remember,you're playing in front of your peers. All those guys who play on Sunday are now at home watching you. You want to show them what you're made of. You want to be good at play selection. Here's how to do it: The Play Selection Screen is shown in the illustration above. This screen comes up before every play,so that both the offensive and defensive teams can

decide which plays to use. On the upper right and lower right corners of the play selection screen are two helmet icons,one for each team. Your helmet will be your team's color;your opponent's helmet will be his team's color. Under each helmet will be the word "Offense" or "Defense," so you'll always know which side of the ball you'll line up on. The offensive team has 45 seconds to make a play selection. The clock ticks down until you pick a play. If you don't select in time,you will be penalized five yards for delay of game(see chapter on Penalties). Once the 45 second clock starts,the Defense has 5 seconds to select a play,or until the Offense picks a play. If 5 seconds have elapsed and the Offense has selected a play but the Defense has not,the defensive play selection will automatically default to the Medium yardage play. Once the offensive play is selected,the 45 second clock stops and the players all come to the line of scrimmage. PW=60 22 OFFENSIVE PLAY SELECTION When you're playing OFFENSE,you select running,passing or kicking plays of Short,Medium or Long yardage. Short plays are selected when you need to only gain a few yards. For example,suppose you're at midfield and it's second down with 2 yards needed for a first down. You could go for the long bomb,but why risk an interception in this situation. All you need is 2 yards for a first down,so it's a good time for a Short play. Long plays are the riskiest,because the ball is in the air for the longest amount of time. This gives the defense more time to intercept the ball. But a long play that works is a thing of beauty. And one great long play can turn a game around in seconds. It's the long plays that go down in history,making heroes and legends of quarterbacks and their receivers. PW=71 23 There are 30 offensive plays in ABC's Monday Night Football Playbook.(To find out how to create your own plays,see the Playmaker Utility chapter.) The Short,Medium and Long yardage plays are displayed on the screen next to the Offensive and Defensive helmet icons. Short plays are to the left,Medium plays in the middle and Long plays to the right. These plays can be selected by holding the joystick left,center or right and pressing the joystick button. The plays are selected by the following joystick positions: LEFT Short Plays CENTER Medium Plays RIGHT Long Plays If you don't like any of the three plays that are displayed,move the joystick DOWN to scroll forward to another set of plays or UP to scroll back. The play you select will NOT be highlighted on the screen. So your opponent will have to guess which play you've selected and you'll have to figure out which play he's selected. This makes ABC's Monday Night Football as challenging as real football.(To improve your play selection strategy,see the chapter "Tips and Hints for Playing Better Football.") When your selection is made,the 45 second clock stops and a bell rings, indicating that you have made your choice. PW=59 24 OFFENSIVE PLAYBOOK (THIS SHOWS 15 PLAYS) PW=81 25 (THIS SHOWS 15 PLAYS) PW=57 26 DEFENSIVE PLAY CALLING Defensive play calling works the same way as calling the Offense does. On Defense you have 12 plays to choose from.

On Defense you also select Short,Medium or Long Yardage plays. A Short defensive play defends against running backs breaking through the line or any other kind of short offensive play. A Long defensive play protects against the long ball as well. These defensive strategies prove,just like in real football, that defense can make or break a game. To select a play,hold the joystick left,center or right and hit the joystick button. Joystick positions control plays as follows: LEFT Short Plays CENTER Medium Plays RIGHT Long Plays If you want to scroll through other possible plays,move UP to scroll forward and DOWN to scroll back. PW=69 27 (THE SHOWS 12 DEFENSIVE PLAYS) PW=58 28 ABC's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL STRATEGY OFFENSIVE FORMATIONS: HOW TO USE THEM Your play-calling strategy is the key to your success in ABC's Monday Night Football. Select your plays wisely and they'll be calling you a genius. But if you pick plays randomly without thought there's a good chance you'll end up on the football scrapheap. All the plays in the game are variations of basic football formations. ABC's Monday Night Football gives you four different offensive formations to play with. You can pass or run from any formation,but each has strengths and weaknesses. For example,one may be well suited for running plays,but poor for passing plays. Another may be great against a certain defensive formation,but weak against another. With ABC's Monday Night Football,you select plays from these four basic Offensive Formations: 1. PRO SET - The PRO SET is the most commonly used offensive formation. That's because it provides a good balance between the running and the passing game. The two running backs line up on either side of the quarterback and behind him. The better blocker of the two backs(usually the fullback)lines up on the strongside(the side with the tight end)for extra power on "sweep",running plays around the end. Because the backs are behind the quarterback,they can either take a handoff from the quarterback,or go out for a pass. Since the Pro Set formation can easily be used for either a passing or running play,your fullback and halfback should be farily good at both running and ball handling. You want players who can both catch passes and run without fumbling when you use this formation. X X WR X HB PRO SET FORMATION PW=99 29 2. I FORMATION - In the I-FORMATION,both running backs line up in a straight line(an "I")behind the quarterback. This formation is used mostly when you want to run the ball. It's effective because the back who takes the handoff can pick his "holes"(openings in the defense). Since the back begins play directly behind the quarterback,once he gets the ball,he can cut right,left,or straight ahead,depending on where the offensive line has created holes for him. Since this formation is used mainly for running,you want to give your offensive line very good blocking abilities if you plan to use it. That way they can create big holes for the running backs. Your backs should also have strong running abilities if you use this formation frequently. Having two backs available to run the ball can really keep the defense offbalance. For example,the quarterback can fake a handoff to the fullback,who then power straight up the middle as a blocker. X FB X X X X TE X X WR

Meanwhile the quarterback gives the ball to the faster halfback who will hopefully hit a hold created by the fullback. For short yardage,the quarterback can handoff to the fullback for a bullish run up the middle. X X WR X QB X FB X HB I-FORMATION 3. DOUBLE TIGHT-END In the DOUBLE TIGHT-END formationk,the fullback is behind the quarterback,with the halfback split slightly to one side or the other. The key to this formation is the second tight end. Football teams run to their strength,and their strength is usually the side with the extra blocking potential of a tight end. (In a single tight-end formation,that side is called the Strongisde;the side without the tight end is the Weakside). The second tight end eliminates this distinction;now plays can be run either right or left with equal blocking power. This is a very popular formation in goal line or short-yardage situations. Here again you want an offensive line with the blocking ability to create movement and holes. Near the goal line you will want to use a fullback with good ball handling ability-you don't want to cough up the football so close to the end zone. PW=67 30 The two tight end formation allows you to run the ball up the middle,but you can also plan your runs away from the strong safety,toward the free safety,who is often not as good a tackler. This is also a good formation from which to run "play action passes" near the goal line. In these plays,you might fake a handoff to a back then throw to one of your tight ends,who have run a crossing pattern into the end zone. In this case,you want tight ends and wide receivers with especially strong receiving abilities. X X WR XFB XHB DOUBLE TIGHT-END FORMATION 4. SHOTGUN The SHOTGUN is a popular formation in obvious passing situations. Instead of standing directly behind the center,the quarterback receives the snap standing five to seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. This way he is able to get his pass off more quickly,because he does not have to "drop back" to avoid the defensive rush after getting the ball. Meanwhile,one or both running backs lines up at the line of scrimmage or just a yard or two behind it so he can get free more quickly on his pass pattern. When this formation works well,five receivers can be available quickly. If you go to the shotgun a lot,your quarterback needs a rifle arm more than he needs to be mobile. Your tight end and wide receivers need to have strong receiving abilities. But remember,the defense expects you to pass when you line up in the shotgun. You may get good yardage by surprising them with a running play. For that reason,give your halfback and fullback good running abilities. X X WR X HB X QB SHOTGUN FORMATION PW=11 31 X FB X X X X WR X X WR X X X X TE X X WR X X X TE X X X WR

DEFENSIVE FORMATIONS: HOW TO USE THEM ABC's Monday Night Football gives you four defensive formations to choose from: 1. The 3-4 The 3-4 got its name from the number of defensive linemen(3)and linebackers(4). There are only 3 defensive players at the line of scrimmage-the nose tackle and two ends-but behind them are 4 linebackers(two outside and two inside)for medium range pass coverage. Behind the linebackers are 2 cornerbacks and 2 safeties. The 3-4 is very effective against the pass,because there are so many players in the backfield to cover receivers. You should give your defensive backfield strong coverage abilites. Keep in mind that with only 3 defenders at the line of scrimmage,the 3-4 formation is vulnerable to the run. Therefore,you should only call this formation when you're expecting the pass. The 3-4 is a common formation in what is called a prevent defense. In this defense,you are willing to give up short yardage,but you're preventing the Big Play by the offense that could put up points. If,for example,you have a big lead and the other team is deep in their own territyory and time is running out,the chances are higher they are going to pass a lot to try to make that big play. 2. The 4-3 and the Flex 4-3 - The 4-3 formation also gets its name from the number of linemen and linebackers in the alignment. This defense features four defensive linemen(two ends and two tackles)and three linebackers(a middle linebacker and two outside linebackers). The 4-3 is one of the more balanced formations in football,because it is more effective than the 3-4 against the run,but still provides decent pass defense. However,it is not as good against the long pass as the 3-4. In the Flex 4-3,there are seven men near the line of scrimmage - four linemen and three linebackers. The word Flex stands for flexible,and flexibility is the whole idea behind the Flex 4-3. The linemen and men off the line of scrimmage are supposed to "read" the play first,then react to the ball. This is called a "reading" defense,as opposed to a "penetrating" defense where defensive players rush the passer as soon as the ball is snapped. The Flex 4-3 is designed mainly to stop the run by closing all the gaps in the line. However,it is weak against the pass,because defensive linemen are not pressuring the quarterback quickly. This gives him more time to find an open receiver. PW=62 32 3. SHORT YARDAGE OR GOAL LINE - When the opposing team is getting near the goal line,the defense will often bring in extra men to the line of scrimmage. These three or four extra linement can replace the linebackers or safeties. So while this defense is well equipped to stuff the run,it is very vulnerable to the pass. The defensive linemen set up in the gap between each offensive linemen. Their job is to counteract the force of the offensive push,fill in the holes in the line and stack up the runner,hopefully behind the line of scrimmage. Because there is so much attention given to the run,any defensive backs have to watch out for receivers who may sneak into the end zone completely unnoticed and be open for a touchdown pass. 4. NICKEL/DIME - If it's second down and ten or third down and seven,it's a good idea to put extra defensive backs in the game. Why? Because these are likely passing situations. The nickel(so named because there is a fiveplayer defensive backfield),is an excellent formation for obvious passing downs. In this formation,the defense has an extra cornerback or safety with the speed and hands to cover a third wide receiver. Often the nickel is used with five defensive backs and a full pass rush. The Dime Defense puts a sixth defensive back in the game,sometimes to cover a

fourth wide receiver. PW=51 33 BLITZES - A blitz is a full-force attack on the offense. As soon as the ball is snapped,not only the defensive linemen,but also some or most of the backfield charges the line of scrimmage and tries to get the quarterback. The goal is to sack the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage before he can get a pass off. Linebackers and safeties commonly are used in blitzes. In addition,a cornerback may charge the quarterback or run around the end. The blitz has several advantages. First there is the element of surprise. The backs often look like they're in a normal formation until they charge. Also,even if the quarterback isn't sacked,he often will have to hurry his throw,increasing the chances for an incompletion or interception. With all those charging defenders in the middle of the field,the blitz can also be effective against runs up the middle. However,blitzing is a very high-risk play. If the quarterback can get off a good pass before being tackled,his wide receivers will be wide open for short or medium passes. And after they catch the ball,there are very few,if any, defensive backs to catch them. So blitzes that fail can spell disaster for the defensive team. PW=21 34 PLAYMAKER UTILITY:INVENT YOUR OWN PLAYS Maybe you're really a genius at football strategy. Now's your chance to prove it. ABC's Monday Night Football allows you to create an almost unlimited number of offensive plays in addition to the game's pre-existing Play Book of 30 plays. These new plays are created with the Playmaker Utility. Like a coach diagramming plays on a chalkboard,you can control the moves of all eleven offensive players on every play from scrimmage.(The pass pattern each receiver runs,the direction each front lineman blocks,whether the tight end blocks or goes out for a pass-you control all this with the Playmaker.) Here's how it works:Get into the Main menu by pressing ESCAPE key when the scoreboard screen is up. Once in the Main Menu,select option #2,the Playmaker Utility. When ABC's Monday Night Football Playmaker screen comes up,you will first want to set your formation. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to move the ABC icon to the "Change Formation" option. Press the ENTER key to scroll through the four possible formations:Split Red,Near Blue,I-Formation or Shotgun. Now use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to move the ABC icon to select the player whose moves you want to set. One by one,you can go through your entire offensive lineup and tell each player what to do. You select among: QUARTERBACK LINEMAN 1 FULLBACK LINEMAN 2 HALFBACK LINEMAN 3 LEFT WIDE RECEIVER LINEMAN 4 RIGHT WIDE RECEIVER LINEMAN 5 TIGHT END ALL LINEMAN Once you have selected a player,use the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to select different options for that player. For example,suppose you want the halfback to run the ball. By using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys,you can scroll through 10 different running options for a halfback,from a run to the left of center,to a sweep right,to a sweep left. PW=87 35 A flashing black and white ARROW will diagram each move. If you want your left wide receiver to run a Short Out pass pattern,for example,a flashing arrow will show the ground he will cover. In the above example,the flashing arrow shows the receiver running downfield about five yards,then cutting toward the left sideline. If you want him to run a Corner pass pattern,he will run downfield, cut right,then cut toward the left sideline at a 45 degree angle. There are

8 additional pass patterns for you to choose from,all diagrammed for you on the screen with the flashing arrow. The quarterback,fullback and halfback each have 10 different run options. The wide receivers and tight end have 10 different pass routes they can run. The tight end can also block in any direction. Each lineman can be made to block individually in whichever direction you choose,or the front line can all block together in the same direction. You can diagram your plays from scratch,creating moves for all 11 players,or you can begin with a play from the ABC's Monday Night Football Playbook,and make changes to that play. To change a play from the ABC's Monday Night Football Playbook,use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select the "Change Play" option on the Playmaker screen. Now press ENTER to scroll through the Playbook(10 Short,10 Medium and 10 Long plays will be displayed). When you see the play you want to run,use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select the player(s)whose moves you want to change,and then the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to change their run or pass patterns. To create a play from scratch,select the "Clear Play" option on the Playmaker screen. When you do this,all the existing running,passing and blocking assignments will be erased for every player. Now go through each player and select how you want them to run,pass and block. NOTE:If you create a play from scratch,make sure you give all 11 players an assignment,or they will just sit around during play action. To load a playbook,select the "Load Playbook" option on The Playmaker will now prompt you to insert the desired playbook in drive A. Pressing ENTER will now load the playbook on that disk. To save a playbook,select the "Save Playbook" option on the Playmaker screen. The Playmaker will now prompt you to insert a pre-formatted disk into Drive A. The Playmaker will now save your custom playbook. When you are through creating,loading or saving playbooks,selecting the quit function will return you to the main menu. You will now be playing ABC's Monday Night Football with the new plays you have chosen. PW=94 36 THE KICKING GAME The kicking game is a very important part of football. Many close games are won or lost on the strength of the kicking unit. The kicking game includes kickoffs,punts,field goals and extra points. At the beginning of the game,the beginning of the second half,and after every score,there is a kickoff. The main idea when kicking off is to kick the ball as deep as possible into the opponent's territory. That way he has much further to go to make a touchdown. After the receiving team catches the ball,they attempt to run with the ball as far as they can toward the opposing end zone. This is called the "run back". When kicks go all the way into the endzone without being touched by the receiving team,that is called a TOUCHBACK. After a touchback,the ball is automatically placed on the 20 yard line and the offensive team begins with first down. A PUNT is also a kick toward your opponent's goal,but punts are mainly used on fourth down when you are a great distance for your opponent's end zone and you feel there is too far to go for a first down. Let's say it's fourth down and six yards to go from your own 30 yard line. In this situation you would probably want to punt,because if you fail to get a first down on the next play,your opponent will begin from your 30 yard line-in other words they only have 30 yards to go for a touchdown. But if you punt the ball(a punt can go 50 yards or more)you may be able to pin your opponent deep in his own territory. A FIELD GOAL is an attempt to kick the ball through the uprights of your opponent's goalpost. The kick must travel the remaining distance to your opponent's end zone plus the length of the end zone. A field goal requires both power and accuracy. Technically,you can attempt a field goal from any spot on

the field,but few are successful from beyond your opponents 40 or 45 yard line. A team will generally attempt field goals when it is fourth down,they're in fairly good field position,but they don't think they can make a first down. As mentioned earlier,a field goal gives your team three points. An Extra Point,or Point After Touchdown(PAT)is like a field goal from a short distance-the ball is hiked back from the 3 yard line and kicked from about the 10 yard line. After each touchdown,the kicker attempts to kick the ball through the uprights. A PAT gives the scoring team one extra point. You cannot kick a PAT unless you first score a touchdown. PW=63 37 HOW TO KICK ON ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL To begin the game and the second half,and after every score,the Play Selection screen will give you three kickoff selections: 1. JOYSTICK LEFT:Onside Kick(K1) 2. JOYSTICK MIDDLE:Normal Kick(K2) 3. JOYSTICK RIGHT:Squib Kick(K3) K1 ONSIDE KICK(K1) K2 NORMAL KICK(K2) K3 SQUIB KICK(K3)

To begin a kickoff,push the joystick left,center or right and hold down the joystick button to select the type of kick. The computer will then initiate the kick you've selected. An Onside Kick(K1)must go a minimum of 10 yards. This type of kick is usually attempted late in the game when the kicking team is behind in points. The idea is to kick it a short distance and recover the ball for the kicking team.(Once the ball travels 10 yards anyone can grab it.)That way they retain control of the ball. The risk is that the receiving team will recover the ball and,because it is a short kick,they will end up in a very good field position. A Normal Kick(K2)will usually travel 40 to 50 yards and even though the kicking team is giving up the ball,the idea is to make the receiving team begin play deep in their own territory. A Squip Kick(K3)is difficult to return. It is usually a low line drive that bounces wildly as soon as it hits the field. PW=88 38 HOW TO KICK PUNTS AND FIELD GOALS On fourth down,the Play Selection screen will first display three kicking plays.(If you don't want to kick,you can scroll forward to select another type of play). To select a punt,fake punt or field goal,push the joystick left, center or right and hold down the joystick button. The joystick movements control your kicks as follows: 1. JOYSTICK LEFT:Punt 2. JOYSTICK MIDDLE:Fake Punt. 3. JOYSTICK RIGHT:Field Goal. P1 PUNT P2 FAKE PUNT FIELD GOAL

The game screen will now show a field view for a PUNT or an end zone view for a FIELD GOAL. The computer will initiate the PUNT. A FAKE PUNT begins with the ball being hiked to the kicker. But instead of kicking,he's going to run with the ball,pass it or hand it off. This play is used when your opponent expects you to punt,and you think you can catch him by surprise by getting a first down or even a touchdown. Once the ball is hiked, the play unfolds like any other play. PW=61 39 A FIELD GOAL,usually attempted when you're within your opponent's 40 yard line and on fourth down,will give you three points if successful. But to get one

on ABC's Monday Night Football requires timing and accuracy. Once you select Field Goal,you get a great view of the kick from the box seats right behind the goal posts. POWER METER/ACCURACY METER On the bottom of your screen a POWER METER and then an ACCURACY METER will appear. First the Power Meter will start to turn blue,from left to right. You should tap the joystick button as soon as the meter turns completely blue. Now the Accuracy Meter appears on the bottom of your screen. This meter fills up from right to left by turning red. Just above the meter in the middle of the screen is a little football icon. Your job is to stop the meter by hitting the joystick button when the red is squarely in the middle,directly below the football. If the red goes too far to the right of the football,your field goal will be wide right. If the red goes too far to the left of the football,it will be wide left. When you are close to the red zone the meter fills up slowly and it is easier to kick down the middle. But the further away you are from the end zone,the faster it fills up and the harder it is to kick an accurate field goal. PW=73 40 THE SCOREBOARD At the beginning of the game,and between every play,the ABC's Monday Night Football Scoreboard appears on the game screen. (PICTURE OF SCOREBOARD SCREEN) scoreboard gives you this important information: team names score scoring by each team each quarter time left on the game clock(You can pick 5,10 or 15 minute quarters) quarter(There's a total of four quarters in the game) 45 second clock(You have 45 seconds to select each play) number of timeouts each team has left(Each team gets three timeouts per half) The down and number of yards to go for a first down. The The The The The The The The PW=72 41 FUMBLES If the ball carrier fumbles the ball,a ref's voice calls the fumble. Just like in the real game,when a football fumbles,no one knows which direction it may bounce or when it may stop. The first player to get to the ball will recover the fumble. INTERCEPTIONS Whenever a defensive player catches a pass intended for an offensive receiver, it's called an interception. After he catches the ball,he immediately becomes an offensive player,and can run toward the oponent's end zone until he tackled or runs out of bounds. If he runs it back all the way,he's scored a touchdown. On ABC's Monday Night Football,defensive players,usually the safeties, cornerbacks and linebackers,can intercept passes. Using the joystick,you must place your defensive player between the ball and the intended receiver. You must do this by getting as close to the intended receiver as possible without causing "pass interference". PW=85 42 INJURIES Unfortunately,injuries are a big part of professional football. Sometimes the injured list is longer than the starting lineup. Injuries can happen on ABC's Monday Night Football,too. It's something you must keep in mind when you're choosing your plays. Just like an NFL coach must use his players wisely or risk injury,so must you. Injuries on ABC's Monday Night Football are determined by player usuage. The more you use a particular player,the more likely he is to

get hurt. If you run your quarterback on too many plays,your quarterback may have to be carried off the field on a stretcher. If you go to a particular running back for almost every play,he,too may end up on the sidelines. So it would be wise to choose a more balanced attack. When a player is injured,he is automatically replaced by player from the reserve. The reserve player is picked by the computer and automatically put into the game. LEAGUE PLAY The ABC's Monday Night Football League has 28 different teams,just like the pros. These teams are divided into two conferences. Within each conference are two divisions,East and West. When you are doing your game setups,you can choose to get into Leagure Play, which means the best teams will make it into the playoffs and eventually the championship. You can choose between a one to four team playoff schedule. Playoff games cannot be played as teammate games;they must be head to head. If you choose the one to ten team playoff mode,your season will consist of four games leading to the championship battle. PW=68 43 PENALTIES AND OFFICIAL SIGNALS Like every other sport,football has rules. And like every other sport,when you break the rules,you pay the price-if you get caught. The referees(nickname Zebras because of their black and white striped shirts)are there to enforce the rules and give out penalties. They also signal touchdowns,field goals,first downs and make other calls. ABC's Monday Night Football has animated officials. Whenever there is a penalty,or something happens on the field that involves an official,a referee appears on your screen and you will hear him make the call. And just like in real football,the official also gives the appropriate set of animated hand signals to let the fans know what the call is. The following offical signals are displayed on ABC's Monday Night Football: OFFSIDES-If either team crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped,that team is offsides. However,if the defensive player does not make physical contact with an offensive player and returns to his side of the line of scrimmage before the ball is hiked,he is not penalized. Defensive offsides is also called "encroachment". Penalty for offsides:5 yards. TOUCHDOWN OR FIELD GOAL-Whenever a team scores a touchdown,or kicks a field goal,the referee will raise his arms as shown at left. EXTRA POINT-The refree will signal when an extra point has been made and say, "The kick is good." DELAY OF GAME-This penalty is called whenever the team with the ball fails to make a play selection before the :45 second clock runs down. Penalty for Delay of Game:5 yards. PW=20 44 PERSONAL FOUL-On ABC's Monday Night Football,this penalty covers a variety of infractions,from grabbing a player's face mask to making an illegal block. Penalty for Personal Foul:15 yards. PASS INTERFRENCE:With ABC's Monday Night Football,this penalty is called on the defense for illegally hitting or grabbing an intended receiver who is trying to catch a pass. A defensive player is not allowed to bump an intended receiver after the first 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Penalty for Pass Interference:Automatic first down and the ball is placed at the point which the pass interference occurred. If the receiver catches the pass,but the completion was shorter than 15 yards,the defense is given a 15 yard penalty from the original line of scrimmage. INTENTIONAL GROUNDING-When the quarterback throws the football,he must have a receiver in the area near where the ball is thrown. If the quarterback throws the ball just to avoid being "sacked"(tackled)by his opponent,he may be called

for intentional grounding. If the quarterback is called for intentional grounding in the end zone,it results in a safety. Penalty for Intentional Grounding:10 yards and loss of down. SAFETY-Whenever a player is tackled in his own end zone,it's a safety and the other team gets two points. After a safety,the team that was scored upon must kick for the 20 yard line to the scoring team. TOUCHBACK-The referee calls a touchback after a kickoff or punt when the ball goes all the way into the opponent's end zone without being touched by the receiving team. The ball is automatically brought out to the 20 yard line and the receiving team takes over. PW=74 45 TIPS AND HINTS FOR PLAYING BETTER FOOTBALL Executing your plays well is,of course,vital to being successful with ABC's Monday Night Football. All the physical ability in the world won't be enough if your opponent knows exactly what you're going to do. Your play selection strategy-calling the right play at the right time in pressure situations-is the key to winning. This doesn't mean always calling for a pass in an obvious passing situation or running the ball in short yardage situations. Running out of a passing formation or passing out of a running formation can catch your opponent by surprise and yield good results. Your basic strategy in a game should be based on the strengtha and weaknesses of the particular players you put on the field. Tailor your play selection to your team. For example,if your team has a powerhouse offense,but weak defense,you might get into a high scoring shootout with your opponent based on the passing game. On the other hand,if you have an inept offense but a defense that gives up very few points,you may want to play conservative ball control on offense:run the ball a lot,eat up time on the clock of offense,and hope your defense can create turnovers and make something happen. The more you know about your opponent,the better off you are. If you know your opponent is vulnerable to the run up the middle,exploit that weakness. If your opponent has a safety or cornerback who doesn't match up with your wide receiver,get the ball to that receiver. It's your job to plan the matchups so that your team's strengths will go head to head with the other team's weaknesses. If you've never played a team before,the only way to discover their weaknesses is to watch them play and test them early in the game. On defense,you need to figure out what plays your opponent is likely to call,and then what you need to do to stop him when he tries it. To discover your opponent's offensive tendencies,you have to watch him in action and ask yourself these questions:Is this a team that likes to run more or pass more? Do they frequently call the same play in key situations? Does their quarterback run the ball well,or is he strictly a passer? Who is his favorite receiver and what are that receiver's favorite pass routes? Do they always pass or run on a particular down? What do they do when they're near the goal line? Who is their best runner? Does the quarterback usually go for short, medium or long passes? PW=98 46 The more answers you have to the above questions,the better you'll be able to defense your opponent. You must watch your opponent's defense just as closely. Are they stronger against the run or against the pass? What defensive formation do they use the most often? When do they use the 3-4 and the Flex 4-3? On third down,how often do they put in their Nickel defense? When do they blitz? Are they stronger defending against runs up the middle or sweeps to the outside? Which defensive back is the weakest pass defender? Which linebacker is most vulnerable to a running play? How effective are different defensive players at tackling?

As you make mental notes about your enemy's tendencies,you'll get more and more effective at shredding his defense and stopping his offense. And that's what football is all about. Always keep in mind the down situation. When selecting plays,you're always guessing the chances a certain play will succeed in a given situation. First and ten presents a different group of plays than third and one. For third and one you'll probably want a tried-and-true short yardage play. Of course,the defense will be expecting a short yardage play in that situation,so occasionally you'll want to surprise them with a trick play. But in general,sticking to the odds and sticking to the fundamentals is going to get you more touchdowns than trying a lot of gimmick plays. Know when to gamble. If you're on your own five yard line,it's not a good time to trot out the fancy high-risk plays. You want to use conservative,quickhitting plays that will get you away from your own zone. You don't want a safety and you want to get out far enough to punt deep into your opponent's territory if you have to. Quick handoffs to a surehanded fullback are a good bet. Once you get out to your 0 yard line,then you can start to loosen up a little and start taking chances. Know a few statistics. It doesn't hurt to know what NFL teams pass the ball 75% of the time when it's first and more than ten,second and more than seven of third and more than three. Or that most teams run short yardage plays if it's second and less than five. Or that if a team runs their offense from a double tight end formation,they'll run the ball about 75% of the time. If you remember these things,you'll do a bette job of anticipating your opponent's moves. PW=32 47 ABC's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ABC's Monday Night Football has given us many unforgettable moments over the past 20 years. But a special few players,and a few teams,have performed so well that they have earned entrance into the ABC's Monday Night Football Hall of Fame. With a little luck,maybe your name will be added someday. TONY DORSETT-The Dallas Cowboys' running back seemed to always come through on Monday night,but never better than on January 3,1983. That night he made the longest run from scrimmage in the history of the NFL-99 yards on one play. Dorsett holds another ABC's Monday Night Football record:He has scored 17 touchdowns. ERIC HIPPLE-The Detroit Lions' quarterback holds the distinction of completing the longest pass ever in an ABC's Monday Night Football game of 94 yards. 1976 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS-This record belongs more in the Hall of Shame than the Hall of Fame. On a rainy Monday night,this team lost 8 fumbles to the Washington Redskins. That remains an NFL record to this day. THE OAKLAND/L.A. RAIDERS-No team has performed as well on Monday night as the Raiders. No other team has even come close. Owner Al Davis told his team to "Just win,baby" and they certainly have on Monday Night. They're 26-6,with one tie. That's a winning percentage of .787. BO JACKSON-The Raiders running back is a superstar in both football and baseball. On November 30,1987,he entered the ABC's Monday night Football Hall of Fame by rushing for 221 yards,an ABC's Monday Night Football record. O.J. SIMPSON AND KEN ANDERSON-O.J. ran for the Buffalo Bills. Anderson passed for the Cincinnati Bengals. On November 17,1975,they thrilled the nation with their powers. While Anderson passed for an ABC's Monday Night Football record with 447 yards,"The Juice" ran for 197 yards. TONY FRANKLIN-The Philadelphia Eagles kicker earned his wings on November 12, 1979. And he did it barefoot. On that Monday night,he kicked an incredible 59 yard field goal,at the time the second longest in NFL history. PW=43 48 EARL CAMPBELL-On November 20,1978,Houston oilers rookie Earl Campbell became a household name by rushing for 4 touchdowns and 199 yards in one of the most exciting ABC's monday Night Football games ever. JIM McMAHON-Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon really rose to the occasion

on September 19,1985. He was injured,hadn't practiced and wasn't expected to play. But with his team behind in the second half,he came off the bench and immediately threw two touchdown passes. He later threw a third touchdown to guarantee a victory. 1988 INDIANAPOLIS COLOTS-An otherwise ho-hum team simply exploded on Halloween night. Was it magic? Was it voodoo? Who knows. But the Colts scored an ABC's Monday Night Football record of 55 points that night. PW=31 49 A FOOTBALL TUTORIAL:HOW TO BECOME A PRIME-TIME PLAYER This software game manual has been written for anyone who enjoys footballfrom first-time novices to longtime football fanatics. Like any other sport,football has rules and language all its own. If you're just learning the game,read on and you'll be scoring touchdowns in no time. The rules of ABC's Monday Night Football are similar to the rules of the National Football League. Your main goal in Football is simple:score more points than your opponent. When you have the ball,and are trying to score against your opponent,you are on OFFENSE. When you don't have the ball,and are trying to prevent your opponent from advancing and scoring,you're on DEFENSE. The playing field is 100 yards long,divided into two 50-yard long territories.Wherever the ball is placed at any particular moment is called the line of scrimmage. As you march down the field,the first 50 years is your territory. Once you cross the 50 yard line,you're in your opponent's territory,and the field markers cound down 50,40,30,20,10 yards and into your opponent's end zone. To score on offense,you must move the football down the field and into the opposing team's end zone. The line across the field marking the beginning of the end zone is called the goal line. Once you cross the goal line,you've scored a touchdown,and your team gets 6 points. Sounds simple,right? It isn't. Because the defense has put 11 men on the field whose sole purpose in life is to prevent you from moving the football downfield. While on offense,you have four plays(called "downs"),with which you must go a minimum of 10 yards. You do this by either throwing the football to your teammates("passing plays")or running with the football("rushing plays"). The defensive team tries to prevent you from moving forward by tackling whoever has the ball or catching a ball thrown by your quarterback(called an "interception"). On offense,if you can gain 10 or more yards in four tries,you get a "first down" and another 4 plays to go 10 yards. If you on't get 10 yards,you turn over the ball to your opponent,without a change of field position. Your opponent will be trying to move the ball in the opposite direction toward your goal line. Now you're on defense and the other team plays offense.(With ABC's Monday Night Football,when a team fails to get a first down on fourth down,that PW=19 50 team automatically goes on defense,and the opposing team on offense.) Every time the ball carrier is tackled,runs out of bounds or drops a pass,the play is over. The important information is put up on the ABC's Monday Night Football scoreboard,just as it is for all real NFL games. For example,if on a first down a player runs 5 yards and is then tackled,the scoreboard will show that it is now second down(remember,you get four downs to go 10 yards)and 5 yards to go for another first down. Immediately after you score a touchdown,the next play is always the point after touchdown(PAT),also called the "extra point." In each end zone are goal posts. You must kick the ball "between the uprights" to gain another point. Again,you can only do this right after scoring a touchdown. The PAT is worth one(1) point. The touchdown and PAT will give you a total of 7 points. You can also score points by kicking field goals. This is similar to the extra point kick,and is usually done on 4th down when you are in your opponent's territory but you are unable to score a touchdown or get a first down. Your kicker must kick the football between the uprights on the goal posts. Obviously

the further away from the goal post you are,the more difficult it is to score a field goal. Field goals attempted from further than your opponent's 35 yard line are very hard. A successful field goal gives your team 3 points. Even though the defense's main goal is to stop the other team from scoring points,the defense can also score points for their team. They are able to do this two ways:through safeties and getting the ball into the end zone after a turnover. There are two types of turnovers:interceptions and fumbles. An interception happens when a defensive player catches a ball intended for an offensive receiver. A fumble occurs when an offensive player drops the football and it is recovered by a defensive player. When these things happen,the ball is still "live",meaning that once the defensive player gets possession of the ball,he can run with the ball for a touchdown. To do this he runs in the opposite direction the offensive team was going. To score a touchdown on a fumble,a defensive player usually recovers the fumble in his opponent's end zone. However,if he is lucky enough to recover a fumble outside the end zone and there are no offensive players in the area,he may be able to run the ball in for a touchdown. PW=44 51 A safety happens when instead of progressing forward,the offensive team is driven backward by the defense into its own end zone. When the ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone,it's a safety,worth 2 points to the opposing team. To sumarize,there are four ways to score in football: TOUCHDOWN: 6 points POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN(PAT):1 point FIELD GOAL:3 points SAFETY:2 points Football is divided into two parts-a first and second half. Each half id divided into 15 minute quarters(With ABC's Monday Night Football,you can choose between 5,10 or 15 minute quarters.)Each team is given 3 timeouts each half. If you're unsure which play to call and need more time,you may call a timeout to stop the clock. At the end of the fourth quarter,whichever team has more points wins. If the score is tied,the teams play until one team scores. The first team to score wins. This is called "Sudden Death Overtime". PW=86 52 ABC's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TRIVIA GAME AT HALFTIME At halftime,you may want to grab a soda or some popcorn,but don't miss the halftime festivities. We've got cheerleaders! We've got music! And,we've got the ABC's Monday Night Football Trivia Game. How much do you really know about ABC's Monday Night Football? Find out when you play the halftime Trivia Game! For those players who have to get back to the action:Hit ESCAPE and it will take you right back to the game. PW=97 53 THE ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PLAYERS THE OFFENSIVE UNIT QB=Quarterback FB=Fullback HB=Halfback LWR=Left Wide Receiver RWR=Right Wide Receiver TE=Tight End OL=Offensive Line The offensive team is made up of 11 players. In the backfield is the quarterback(QB),the fullback(FB) and the halfback(HB). Playing up front at the line of scrimmage is the offensive line(OL),one or two tight ends(TE)and the two wide receivers(LWR and RWR). The offensive line is made up of the center (who snaps the ball to the quarterback),flanked by two guards,then two tackles. The right ends line up next to the tackles. QB-The quarterback is the key to the offense. He stands behind the center and each play begins when the center "snaps" the ball to the quarterback. Once

the quarterback gets the ball,he can do one of several things. He can throw the ball to one of his eligible receivers-this includes the fullback,the wide receivers and the tight ends. He can handoff to one of his backs and they can run with the ball. Or he can run with the ball himself. The quarterback can run around as much as he wants behind the line of scrimmage(the point from which the ball is snapped),and still pass to one of his receivers. However,once he crosses the line of scrimmage,he can no longer pass;he must run with the ball. You can see that the ability to pass and the ability to run are two key ingredients to quarterbacking. FB-The fullback is usually the largest and strongest running back. He is not called upon to catch passes very often,but often runs with the football in crucial situations. If your team just needs a short distance to make a first down,or if you're very close to your opponent's goal line,you may want to rely on your fullback to get you the yardage or get the ball into the end zone. A PW=79 54 fullback's ball handling ability should be high;after all,you don't want him fumbling the football in important situations. But he should also be able to run well,so he can blast his way through the defensive line. A fullback is most commonly used to run up the middle in the "I" Formation. HB-Halfbacks are good ball carriers,usually taking handoffs or pitchouts from the quarterback. But they can also be very good pass receivers,catching short screen passes or,to surprise the opponent,going for a long pass out of the backfield. Because halfbacks are usually not as big as fullbacks,they are generally faster. Using their speed,they are more likely to run outside,as opposd to trying to bulldoze their way up the middle like the fullback. Halfbacks must be very good at handling the football,not only to catch passes,but to withstand the hits put on them by the defense when they're tackled. A halfback with poor handling ability will fumble more often,and that can spell diaster for a team. WR-Good wide receivers are not only the fastest men on the team,they also generally have "hands like glue",which means they can catch almost anything they touch. When your quarterback unloads that long bomb,you're going to want your best wide receiver on the receiving end. TE-The tight end is actually part of the offensive line,so tight ends are generally excellent blockers. However,he is the only member of the front line who is eligible to catch passes. So when primary receivers are covered,it's the smart quarterback who can quickly dump off a pass to the tight end. When a team plays with only one tight end,the side he plays on is called the Strongside;the other side is called the Weakside. THE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN-These men on the front line include the center,who snaps the ball to the quarterback,and the guards and tackles who flank him. None of these men is eligible to catch a pass,and they are often the most unappreciated members of the team. But in many ways they are the most important members of the offensive unit. Their job is to protect the quarterback from the oncoming defensive players. A good offensive line gives the quarterback time to pass. Without time,a quarterback will get tackled("sacked")before his receivers can get open. On running plays,the offensive linemen open holes for running backs. When a running back makes good yardage,it's often because of the high quality of the offensive line. PW=35 55 THE DEFENSIVE UNIT S=Safeties CB=Cornerbacks LB=Linebackers DL=Defensive Line THE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN-There are usually 3 or 4 defensive linemen in on any particular play. The defensive linemen are the nose tackle,(who lines up opposite the offensive center),two defensive tackles and two defensive ends. The job of the defensive line is to stop the offendsive's running game and get to the quarterback to disrupt his passing. They fight the offensive linemen

all day in the trenches. When the offense tries to open a running lane up the middle for their back,the defense tries to stuff that runner or force him to run outside instead of up the middle. When the offense is trying to protect the quarterback,the defensive linemen are trying to open a hold to get to him. Unlike the offensive linemen,defensive lineman are allowed to move(as long as they stay behind theline of scrimmage)before the ball is snapped. With ABC's Monday Night Football,the defensive lineman you control will be able to move left or right before the ball is snapped. This is called "defensive stunting". If you believe your opponent will be running a sweep to the right side,for example,you can move your defensive lineman to the right before play begins,and he'll be in better position to tackle the ball carrier when the play unfolds. However,you be careful not to cross the line of scrimmage and make physical contact before the ball is snapped. You will be called for "encroachment". (See chapter on penalties,starting on page 44.) LB-The linebackers generally line up directly behind the defensive front line. Linebackers have to do everything. They have to defend against the run,sometimes they have to drop back to defend against passes,and sometimes they act like linemen when they rush the quarterback in a play called the Blitz.(See page 34 for description of the Blitz.) A good linebacker has to be strong enough to stop a hugh fullback,fast enough to blitz the quarterback,and quick enough to intercept a pass intended for a speedy receiver. The middle linebacker(MLB)is involved in almost every play from scrimmage,and is often the defensive captain of the team. PW=23 56 For this reason,he is sometimes called the "quarterback of the defense". The outside linebackers(OLB)often cover the quick halfbacks who run to the outside. And on blitzes,the outside linebackers run around the offensive ends to try to sack the quarterback. S AND CB-Behind the linebackers in the backfield are the safeties and cornerbacks. Their main job is to stop the offense's passing attack. But on running plays,they must tackle any runners that get past the front line and the linebackers. And they must be able to tackle receivers who catch passes to prevent further damage. Occasionally they are part of a "safety blitz",where they,too rush the quarterback,hoping they can sack him before he can pass to an open receiver. This is a high risk defensive play that is also discussed the section on strategy. Safeties and Cornerbacks need good speed,good hands to intercept passes and good tackling ability to make sure no one gets past them. PW=47 57 FOOTBALL TERMS AT A GLANCE The following football terms won't instantly make you an expert like Frank Gifford,Dan Dierdorf or Al Michaels,but it will help you better understand and enjoy this great game. BACKFIELD-The areas behind the offensive and defensive lines. The backfield also refers to the players lines up behind the front line. On offense,that's the quarterback,halfback and fullback. On defense,that's the linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks. BLITZ-A defensive assault on the offense where several of the backfield players (linebackers,cornerbacks,or safeties)assault the line of scrimmage rather than play back at their normal positions. BLOCK-Generally an offensive maneuver to prevent a defensive player from tackling the ball carrier. An offensive player can push and block a defensive player,but he cannot hold him back with his hands. BOMB-A long pass,usually with one or more receivers streaking downfield and the quarterback throwing very deep. COMPLETION-A successful pass from the quarterback to a receiver. This is also known as a reception. DEFENSE-The team that doesn't have possession of the football at any point in the game. END ZONE-There are two end zones,one at each end of the field. It is the ten yards of field area between the goal line and the goal posts. Whenever a

team gets the football into the end zone,they are given a touchdown. EXTRA POINT-Also called the Point After Touchdown(PAT). The one point awarded to the offensive team for successfully kicking the ball through the goal post after scoring a touchdown. FIELD GOAL-A field goal must be kicked through the goal post,just like an extra point. However,it is worth 3 points and can be kicked by the offensive team from any point on the field. A field goal can be kicked on any down by the offensive team. But a field goal cannot be kicked after a touchdown. FIRST DOWN-The first of four plays,all called downs,during which the offensive team tries to move the football forward at least 10 yards. Whenever a team moves at least 10 yards in four downs,it is given another first down. PW=66 58 GOAL LINE-The white chalk line signifying the boundary between the playing field and the end zone. There is a goal line at both ends of the field. When an offensive player carrying the football crosses the goal line,he has scored a touchdown for his team. GOAL POST-Ten yards behind the goal line,at both ends of the field,are the goal posts. These are two upright posts connected by a horizontal crossbar. A team attempts to kick the football between the uprights to score field goals or extra points. HALF-Two quarters(or periods)of play. A game is divided into the first half and the second half. HALFTIME-The intermission between the first and second half. On ABC's Monday Night Football,this is the time to play the Trivia Game. INTERCEPTION-Whenever a defensive player catches a pass thrown by the quarterback. Once an interception is made,the defensive player becomes an offensive player and runs in the opposite direction toward his opponent's goal line. INCOMPLETE PASS-Whenever a pass is dropped or missed by the intended receiver,and nobody else catches it either. KICKOFF-The play that begins each half of the game. Also the play immediately following a touchdown and extra point,or field goal. During kickoffs,the scoring team kicks the ball to its opponent. LINE OF SCRIMMAGE-The imaginary line that separates the offensive from the defensive team before play begins. It runs through the football and runs the width of the field to each sideline. OFFENSE-The team with possession of the football at any time. OFFSIDES-A penalty called whenever a team crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. The penalty is five yards. An offensive lineman will be penalized for any movement,but if a defensive player doesn't make contact with an offensive player and returns to his side of the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped,he is not offsides. Defensive offsides is commonly called "encroachment." OUT OF BOUNDS-The area outside the playing field. PAT-Abbreviation for Point After Touchdown. Also called Extra Point. PASS-Throwing the football downfield. A pass is usually made from the quarterback to a wide receiver,a back or a tight end. However,some other offensive players can also throw passes. PW=17 59 PASS PATTERN OR PASS ROUTE-The specific steps and changes in direction that a receiver makes to put him in a position to catch a pass from the quarterback. On ABC's Monday Night Football,the play selection screen uses arrows to show the pass patterns different receivers run on specific plays. PUNT-A kick to the other team,usually done on fourth down and out of field goal range when the offensive team feels it is unlikely it will get a first down. A punt is usually made about 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage. PUNT RETURN-The play in which the defensive player catches the punted football and advances downfield against the kicking team. SACK-Whenever a quarterback is tackled with the ball behind the line of scrimmage,it's called a sack. When a defensive player makes a sack,it makes his day.

SAFETY-A play in which an offensive ball carrier is tackled in his own end zone. This results in 2 points for the other team,and the team that was scored upon must kick the ball from their 20 yard line. Safety also refers to a defensive player who lines up in the backfield and defends against the pass and long runs. SNAP-The center "snaps" the ball to the quarterback to begin each offensive play from scrimmage. TIMEOUT-When a timeout is called,play is stopped and the scoreboard clock is stopped. Many times quarterbacks will call a timeout to discuss strategy with their coach or because they see an unexpected defensive alignment at the line of scrimmage and need to make offensive changes. Each team gets 3 timeouts per half. TOUCHDOWN-Also abbreviated TD,a touchdown happens when a team crosses its opponent's goal line with the football. A TD is worth six points. TURNOVER-Turnovers happen two ways:When the offense fumbles the ball and the defense recovers;or when the defense intercepts a pass. In both cases,the ball is then turned over to the defensive team. YARD LINE-The white chalk line that runs across the field. Usually,a line is drawn across the field. Usually,a line is drawn across the field every 5 yards,and short chalk lines are drawn for each yard in between. PW=29 60 (THIS PAGE IS FOR NOTES) PW=46 61 (THIS PAGE IS FOR NOTES) PW=34 62 (THIS PAGE IS FOR NOTES) PW=50 63 (THIS PAGE IS FOR NOTES) PW=14 64 ABC'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DOCS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SOUTHERN STAR WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF RAP.... For more Amiga documents, visit www.lemonamiga.com