SKID ROW presents TOM LANDRY STRATEGY FOOTBALL USER'S GUIDE Table of Contents Introduction.......................................iii Installation - Amiga Version.......................5 System Requirements.............................5 Setup and Installation..........................5 Preparing for the Big Game.........................7 Getting Started.................................7 Controls........................................7 Quick Start (1 person play)........................8 Main Menu..........................................9 3 Ways to Play..................................9 Human vs. Human.................................10 Human vs. Computer..............................10 Computer vs. Computer...........................10 Setting Game Conditions............................11 Current Season..................................11 Select League...................................12 Select Teams....................................13 Scouting Reports................................13 Scenario Editor.................................14 Modem Options...................................15 Preferences.....................................18 Rules...........................................20 Level...........................................20 How to Play Tom Landry Strategy Football...........21 TLSF Offensive Plays............................22 TLSF Defensive Plays............................26 Other Options to Choose During a Game...........28 Miscellaneous...................................30 The Game is Over - What Next?......................33 View Scoring Drives.............................33 Update Season Stats.............................34 Game-winning Play-calling Strategy.................36 Football Strategy...............................36 Field Position..................................37 Passing.........................................38 Running.........................................39 Offensive Formations............................39 Defensive Formations............................40 Introductions I've been asked many times what it takes to become a successful head football coach. Is it preparation? Knowledge? Personnel and time management skills? Dedication? Determination? The answer is no secret - it takes all of these factors and a lot more, even a little bit of luck! Tom Landry Strategy Football (TLSF) is the first strategy football game which tests your coaching ability in all of these areas. In fact, TLSF is more than just a game, it's a football simulation which offers you everything real coaches have at their disposal - and more! Even though pro coaching is a complicated business, we have designed TLSF so that it can be enjoyed by beginners and experts, alike. Extensive online help - including football fundamentals, rules, and terminology - is available if you want it. Plus, in the Ask Landry option, I share my advice and philosophy in numerous play situations, based on down and distance, field position, score, and time remaining. And play-calling is easy - just point and click and your team is off and running. Football has been a very important part of my life, and I am happy to share some of my coaching experience with you in TLSF. Even if you don't aspire to become a pro football coach, I hope TLSF will enhance your understanding and increase your enjoyment of football - either as a player or a fan. Tom Landry Installation - Amiga Version System Requirements o Amiga 500, 1000, 2000, & 3000 o Kickstart 1.3 or higher o 1 Megabyte RAM o Hard drive recommended Setup and Installation Because TLSF is very memory-intensive, you need at least 1MB of RAM to play the game. If you find you cannot load the game, be sure to shut down other tasks and close any extra windows you have open. TLSF is multi-tasking. Of course, you need to have enough memory to run other tasks. Caution: Back up your TLSF disks before attempting this installation. Only work with the backup disks. There are two disks included with TLSF. The disks must be labelled TLSF1 and TLSF2. The first disk contains an introduction, while Disk 2 contains executable files necessary to run TLSF. Note: Run the game by double-clicking the icon labelled "Football" on Disk 1; after the introduction is completed, the game will automatically load. You can cut the introduction short by clicking the mouse button. Floppy Disk Users. Start the game by double-clicking on the "Football" icon on Disk 1. The game will prompt you when you need to insert the other disk. Always work with your backup disks! Disk 2 must be write-enabled. Rosters, stats, records, season stats, game summaries, and saved games are saved to Disk 2. Hard Drive Installation. There is an intuitive install program found on Disk 2. Double-click on the "Install-TLSF" icon found there. You will be asked where you want to install the game (e.g., "Work:games" - the default is "Work:"). If you have enough space on the partition (2.2MB), the installation will take place. Note: Some changes will be made to your "s:user-startup" (for the TLSFApp,:TLSF@:" and "TLSF#:" must be assigned). Now just open the drawer where you installed the game and double- click on the "Football" icon to start the game! Preparing for the Big Game Getting Started Following system startup, a TLSF introductory animation sequence is displayed. Should you prefer to bypass this introduction, you may press any key on the keyboard. After the introduction, the user validation screen is displayed. The user validation screen shows an offensive play diagram and prompts you to enter a 3-character password printed in this manual. Turn to the page of this manual which contains the exact same offensive play diagram. Locate the correct password printed below the diagram and enter this password from your keyboard. If you have entered the correct password, the Main Menu will appear. (Fuck that, SKID ROW was here!) Controls Tom Landry Strategy Football has a point-and-click interface, with the mouse being the primary computer tool you will use to make selections from all menus and screens. To make your selection, simply place the on-screen mouse pointer over the selection you wish to make, and click using the left mouse button. Note: Some menu buttons may contain a series of options. In such cases, you may click on the left-hand side of the menu button to move forward through the options, or you may click on the right-hand side of the menu button to move backward through the options. On any TLSF screen where text input is required, you must use the keyboard to enter the required numbers of characters. In Computer vs. Computer play, pressing any key on the keyboard will stop the game and will return you to the Main Menu. Quick Start (1 person play) For those football enthusiasts who are already familiar with football strategy and would rather jump right in and play Tom Landry Strategy Football, the following instructions will enable you to quickly learn to play this game. Step Action Note: Ensure that Tom Landry Strategy Football is installed according to the installation instructions found in this manual. Start TLSF according to the starting instructions in the front of this manual. 1 Click on Select Teams. Select your visiting team from the SELECT VISITING TEAM screen. After the SELECT HOME TEAM screen automatically appears, select your home team. 2 On the Main Menu for TODAY'S GAME, let the computer coach one team and you coach the other. 3 Click on Preferences to set your own preferences. 4 Click on PLAY THE GAME. 5 When on offense, select a play you think will be effective. When on defense, pay attention to field position, offensive formation, the down marker, and yards to go to first down. Main Menu When the Main Menu automatically appears, you can do everything from reviewing scouting reports to planning your own game-winning strategy. In addition, the Main Menu enables you to choose whether you want to play against a friend or against the computer. 3 Ways to Play o Human vs. Human o Human vs. Computer o Computer vs. Computer Figure 1 illustrates how you may select any of these options from the TODAY'S GAME section of the Main Menu. Each button may be toggled in two positions - Human or Computer - via the point-and-click interface. If, for example, you (Washington) want to play against the computer (Buffalo), you would click on the button next to Buffalo until Computer is displayed. In the same way, you would click on the button next to Washington until Human is displayed. Once play has begun, these options may not be changed unless you quit the game. TODAY'S GAME BUFFALO Computer VS WASHINGTON Human Figure 1. 3 Ways to Play Human vs. Human This option provides the greatest variety in play while requiring, perhaps, the greatest amount of skill. You can play with another person at your location, or you can play with someone at a remote location via a modem. Refer to Modem Play in this manual for detailed instructions on playing TLSF using a modem. Human vs. Computer This option still requires the same amount of skill as before, but now you are pitting your play-calling skills against those of the computer. When playing against the computer, TLSF randomly selects plays based on statistical data pertinent to the way each pro team plays. For example, Houston likes to run the Run and Shoot offense, so the computer randomly calls plays based upon Houston's team statistics. Computer vs. Computer If you just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your two favorite teams play, then choose this mode of play. You will still be able to see what plays the computer calls as you cheer your team to victory. You may stop play and return to the Main Menu at any time by pressing any key on the keyboard. The Computer vs. Computer option is also for when you want to play a quick game of football. To speed up the game, click on the Preferences button and turn off the animation. To play an even quicker game, click on the Preferences button and turn off both the animation and the computer's calls. Setting Game Conditions Setting game conditions enables you to prepare an effective game plan against your opponent. You can do everything from scout your opponent prior to the big game, to review your opponent's roster to identify player strengths and weaknesses. TLSF also includes a few extras to help you and your friends enjoy a day of football - a scenario editor to explore "what if" situations, and modem play to enable you to play football with friends when they cannot come over to your house. CURRENT SEASON Select League Select Teams Scouting Reports Scenario Editor Modem Options Current Season Current Season allows you to view season statistics, season records, and clear all season statistics for the games you have played. Following the completion of a game, TLSF enables you to save game statistics to your hard disk, so that the next time you start up TLSF, you can review previous game statistics. The statistics you save after you play a game make up the current season statistics. Clicking on CURRENT SEASON enables you to select from among the following options. Season Stats. Clicking on this button allows you to select from among the 28 pro teams whose statistics you wish to view. You can view total season statistics for games you have already played, or you can view average statistics on a per game basis. From this screen you may view team statistics or individual player statistics. Note: Prior to or following each game, you may print team and player statistics to a text file from which you can edit text using a text editor or word processor. Once finished editing the file, print the statistics on any compatible printer. Clicking on GO! takes you back to the SELECT TEAM menu where you may view another team's statistics, or click on RETURN to take you back to the CURRENT SEASON area of the Main Menu. Season Records. This screen shows you how well your favorite pro team is playing. The records shows wins, losses, and ties. Clicking on GO! takes you back to the CURRENT SEASON area of the Main Menu. Clear the Season. Clicking on Clear the Season erases all current season statistics for games you have played so far. Warning: When you clear season statistics, the data is totally erased and cannot be recovered. Select League When you click on Select League, the SELECT A LEAGUE screen appears where you may choose the league you want. Clicking on RETURN takes you back to the Main Menu. Select Teams Clicking on Select Teams allows you to choose your teams for today's matchup. From the SELECT VISITING TEAM screen, you may choose your visiting team. After clicking on your visiting team, the SELECT HOME TEAM screen automatically appears. Following the selection of the home team, the Main Menu reappears. Scouting Reports Scouting reports are used by each pro team to assess opponent's strengths and weaknesses. An accurate scouting report can mean the difference between winning and losing. Clicking on Scouting Reports takes you to the SCOUTING REPORTS screen where you may view the reports for any of the 28 pro teams. You may view the reports for offense and defense by clicking on Offense or Defense. When viewing the scouting report for the offense, you may want to click on Check Tendencies, which shows how likely the offense runs versus passes the ball on first, second, or third down, depending on the yards to go for the first down. The defensive scouting report bases defensive player's ability to stop the ball carrier versus the run and versus the pass. Team ratings are also displayed for penalty percentage, blocking, pass rush, and causing fumbles. Click on RETURN to take you back to the SCOUTING REPORTS screen; clicking on RETURN again takes you to the Main Menu. Scenario Editor Figure 2 shows the Scenario Editor screen. The Scenario Editor may be used when o you do not have time to play a complete game o you want to practice particular game situations (two-minute offense, etc.) o you want to relive some of football's greatest plays. BUFFALO 7 TIME 2:00 DOWN SECOND WASHINGTON 7 QTR SECOND TO GO 10 YARDLINE WASHINGTON 35 POSSESSION BUFFALO WIND Strong GOING North BLOWING South PRECIP. Light Rain NEW GAME Figure 2. Scenario Editor To change the data in any field within the Scenario Editor, simply click on that field and type in the new data using the keyboard. Using the Scenario Editor is both simple and quick. For example, if you want to practice your fourth quarter two-minute offense, simply click the game clock TIME 2:00 with the mouse pointer changing the clock (using the keyboard) to 2:00 remaining in the game. Next change the QTR (quarter) to FOURTH, and set the score, weather, ball possession, and yardline marker to whatever you wish depending upon the game conditions you want to set up. Clicking on GO! saves your selections and takes you back to the Main Menu. Clicking on PLAY THE GAME starts your two-minute offense drill. Clicking on NEW GAME resets the Scenario Editor data fields to the default values. Modem Options Clicking on Modem Options allows you to play TLSF with a friend at a remote location provided both of you have a modem. Figure 3 shows the Modem Options screen in which data can be entered via the mouse and keyboard. Note: TLSF Amiga version players may play against IBM or Macintosh players using a modem. NAME Default PHONE SAVED FILES DIAL ATDT ATDT ATDP Default ANSWER ATS0=1 ATS0=1 ATA BPS COMM PORT o 1200 o 9600 o 38400 o COM1 o COM3 SAVE o 2400 o 19200 o 57600 o COM2 o COM4 DELETE Figure 3. Modem Options Note: Please refer to your modem manufacturer instructions for connection to your computer. Modem Screen. On the Modem screen you need to select: o Dial command for your modem (often ATDT or ATDP)* To disable your call-waiting, consult your local telephone company. A common command is *70 (for example, the command would be "ATDT *70"). o Answer command for your modem * ATS0=1 signals it to answer on the first ring ATA signals "auto-answer." o Baud rate (of course, both machines have to be the same). o COM PORT (for PC-compatibles), either: COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. o Select DIAL or ANSWER for remote connection, DIRECT for null-modem. Remote Location Connection. If connecting directly via a null-modem, both machines simply select the DIRECT button. If connecting via a modem, you need to decide beforehand which player is going to call and who is going to answer, and select the appropriate buttons. The TLSF software will dial and establish the connection. If successful, you will be returned to the Main Menu. If you cannot connect, a message will notify you of the problem, such as The line's busy. Playing the Game via Modem. When you have control, the game plays normally. The player who selects PLAY THE GAME from the modem screen is the Home team, and does several things, including the game setup. Hence, you can create a scenario that is automatically sent across to the remote player. One player at a time has control, and the other player will see a message like Your opponent is deciding. The person in control can set all the game options that are normally available (instant replay, consult Landry, make player substitutions, etc.), including Chat with the opponent. The current offensive and defensive screens reflect each player's previous non-kicking call, so you can keep tabs on each other's tendencies. Chatting. Clicking on the CHAT button opens two windows for typing messages to each other. Chatting is not available if either player is in low-res (animation, consulting Landry) and you will get a message saying this. Once the chat windows are open, you can each type messages to each other. Your text appears in the upper window, and your opponent's messages appear in the lower one. Either player can exit the chatting mode by clicking on the Exit button. Troubleshooting. Check to make sure you are both at the same baud rate. Preferences This screen allows you to set game conditions. A check mark in the box next to the condition means the condition is enabled. To deselect a game condition, click on the box you want to deselect and the red check mark will disappear. The default is where every game condition (box with red check mark) selected. Note: As indicated earlier, preferences may be changed during a game by clicking Prefs in the command bar at the bottom of the screen. If you want to play a fast game, turn animation off. However, you can still view any play by selecting either SHOW (for real-time) or REPLAY (for VCR-mode). The following game conditions may be set for your game: o Use modern timing Until recent years, the clock stopped if a player went out of bounds or if there was a penalty on the play, and it did not restart until the ball was snapped. Modern rules, however, try to speed up the game. Under modern rules, officials restart the clock after kick returns, players going out of bounds, and declined penalties, after the chains have been moved. There are exceptions to these rules; however; in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter or final 2 minutes of the 2nd (and overtime quarters), the clock does not restart until the ball is snapped. o Injuries This option makes players susceptible to injury. o Fatigue Players tire at a normal rate; substitutions can be made for tired and/or injured players. o Homefield advantage Playing in front of the hometown fans offers a distinct advantage; also, many domed stadiums offer an advantage in that the crowd noise can be a factor in whether the visiting team can hear audibles at the line of scrimmage. o Play sound effects Sound effects are built into the program which will enhance your enjoyment when playing TLSF. o Music Music is played at all menus and submenus, but not during animation sequences. o Show digitized PICS Whenever you score a touchdown, field goal, safety, or incur a penalty, a digitized referee appears on the screen to signal the points scored or the infraction. You may turn off this feature to speed up game play. o Show animation When this option is selected, you will the see the players on the playing field throughout the game. You may turn this feature off to speed up game play. o Show computer's calls When playing computer vs. computer, or human vs. computer, you will see what offensive or defensive play the computer calls. You may turn this feature off to speed up game play. Rules TLSF enables you to choose the rules by which you want to play. You may choose among Regular Season, or Playoff rules. Regular season and playoffs rules are almost identical with the exception of overtime play. Remember, after play has started, you will not be able to change the rules. To make a rules section, click on the button until the selection you want is displayed on the screen. Overtime. In overtime (Sudden Death), the first team scoring - in any way - wins the game. o Regular season pro games go one overtime only. If no one scores by the end of the 5th quarter, the game ends in a tie. o Playoff games keep going until a team scores, playing as many quarters as necessary. At every fourth quarter, there is a coin toss. At every odd quarter (5, 7, ...), there is a kickoff. In overtime, each team has only two timeouts. Level For those rare occasions when the head coach is away on game day, the assistant coach gets to run the team. There are two levels from which to choose: Head Coach and Assistant Coach. The head coach has the entire playbook from which to call plays, whereas, the assistant coach has limited play-calling ability. To make a coaching selection, click on the button until the selection you want is displayed on the screen. How to Play Tom Landry Strategy Football You have chosen your opponent for today's game, set your game conditions and now it's time to play the game. This screen welcomes you to today's contest and shows you the current weather conditions. Now it's time for the coin toss. The visiting team makes the call. The kicking team decides which goal it wants to defend. The winner of the coin toss decides whether to receive the opening kickoff or wait to take the ball at the beginning of the second half. The kicking team usually wants to kick with the wind because it will then be at their back in the fourth quarter. After you choose to RECEIVE or KICK the ball, the KICKING OPTIONS screen appears. You must now choose whether to kick the ball onside, squib, or deep. Clicking the mouse on GO! in the command bar starts the game. TLSF Offensive Plays Tom Landry Strategy Football consists of various offensive plays actually taken from Tom Landry's playbook. Figure 4 show the Offense screen from which you will make all of your offensive play selections. OFFENSIVE FORMATION CATEGORY STANDARD PASSES FORMATION: One Back Middle Runs o Short Pass PASS PATTERN: Curl Inside Runs / Medium Pass o HOT RECEIVER / Motion Outside Runs o Long Pass ____________________________ Standard Passes / Play Action | | Finesse Passes | | Kicks PRIMARY RECEIVER | Playing Field | o HB BOINER | | o RV DUCK |____________________________| o FL POPE o LE CLAURE Weather Clock Scout Subs Landry / RE JOHNS Figure 4. Offense Screen Whatever you select as your offensive play is displayed on the miniature playing field located in the OFFENSIVE FORMATION area of the Offense screen. For example, let's say you select the One Back formation, Curl pass pattern with motion; this play is displayed on the playing field at the left. Formations. There are seven offensive formations that are available: o Pro Set (good formation for outside runs and for passing) o Pro I (good formation for inside runs - slants and counters) o Brown (good formation for inside runs to the weak side) o Short Yardage (strongest run formation) o One Back (good formation for passes and for sweeps) o Run and Shoot (an excellent passing formation) o Shotgun (used for obvious passing situations) Standard Pass Patterns. There are various offensive pass patterns that are available depending upon the primary receiver chosen. The Hot Receiver box, located on the OFFENSIVE FORMATION area of the Offense screen, is used to designate the Half-back as a receiver who is available to dump the ball off to only on long pass plays if the defense blitzes. In addition, by clicking on the Motion box, receivers may go in motion to add to defensive confusion and to hopefully catch the defense out of position. When highlighted, you may click on each of these boxes to designate a Hot Receiver and a receiver in motion. Short Passes Long Passes RB Circle, Flat, Flare, Delay RB Corner, Out and Up, Fly, post WR Zoom, Hitch, Quick Out, Slant WR Post, Corner, Fly TE Slant In, Slant Out, Delay TE Post, Corner, Fly Medium Passes RB Hook, Come Back, Square Out, Sideline WR Cross, Square Out, Sideline, Hook, Come Back, Square In, Fade TE Cross, Square Out, Sideline, Hook, Come Back RB = Running Back, WR = Wide Receiver, TE = Tight End Middle Runs. Middle runs are designed to test defensive line strength by running the Back directly over the Center. The middle runs that are available are: o Line Plunge o Middle Trap o Draw o Drop to Knee Inside Runs. Inside runs are also designed to wear down the defensive line. If your offense can establish a good running game, then you will limit the time your opponent has the ball. The inside runs that are available are: o Slant Left o Slant Right o Counter Left o Counter Right Outside Runs. Outside running plays are designed for a quick back who can round the corner without being caught. If he is quick enough, the back will not be tackled until he reaches the defensive secondary. The outside runs that are available are: o Sweep Left o Sweep Right o Reverse Finesse Passes. To execute these types of passes usually requires a great deal of skill by the quarterback. Some are so called "trick" plays, and as such, probably should not be called too often. The finesse passes that are available are: o Screen o Half-back (HB) Pass o Flea Flicker o Hail Mary Kicks. Kicks include punts and field goals. In a close game, the play of your Special Teams can make the difference in whether you win or lose. TLSF Defensive Plays Figure 5 shows the Defense screen which features the Defensive Alignment along with the miniature playing field, FOCUS (run or pass), and potential offensive ball carriers for keying. DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT FOCUS: PASS FORMATION: 4-3 SHIFT: Normal COVERAGE: Man to Man BLITZ: None / Double Team ____________________________ Offense | | is in a | | PRIMARY RECEIVER One Back | Playing Field | o HB BOINER Formation | | o RV DUCK |____________________________| o FL POPE o LE CLAURE Weather Clock Scout Subs Landry / RE JOHNS Figure 5. Defense Screen Formations. There are six defensive formations available. To select the formation you want to use, click on the FORMATION button. o 4-3 (generally good against the run and the pass) o 3-4 (better against sweeps and short passes) o Nickel (generally fair against the run but very good against the pass) o Prevent (this is primarily a long pass defense) o Short Yardage (very good defense to use when just a few yards are needed) o Goal Line (large linemen at the goal line to prevent the score) Coverage. Defenses normally use three pass coverages to stop an offense: Man To Man, 2-Deep Zone ("Halves"), and 3-Deep Zone ("Thirds"). Generally, Man to Man coverage is best against short passes, and it allows linebackers to blitz, whereas the 2-Deep Zone is best against medium passes. The 3-Deep Zone is beast against long passes. To select the coverage you want to use, just point and click on the COVERAGE button. Shift. A defense can often confuse the offense by using various line shifts. TLSF uses three shifts: Normal, Under, and Over. To select the shift you want to use, just point and click on the SHIFT button. Blitzing. Defensive linebackers and backs love to blitz; mainly because it causes the offense problems in many cases. There are various types of blitzes in TLSF: None, ALL LBS, In, and Out. To select the type of blitz you want to use, if any, point and click on the BLITZ button. As you scroll through the various blitzes, be sure to notice the players located on the miniature playing field on the Defensive Alignment screen. Focus. Throughout the course of a game, good defenses learn the tendencies of an offense to run versus pass the ball. TLSF enables you to do this as well, just like the pros. When you learn to anticipate your opponent's offensive game strategy, you can then focus your defense on the run or the pass - you can even select to double team or key on a particular ball carrier or receiver; or you may just want to retain normal player keys or to key on the flow of the play. To focus on the RUN or the PASS, point and click on the FOCUS button. When the RUN button is displayed, you will have the option of retaining normal keys, or keying on the flow or on a particular man. When the PASS button is displayed and you are in man to man coverage, you may choose to Double Team a primary receiver. If so, point and click within the Double Team box and the PRIMARY RECEIVERS box will be displayed. Once it is displayed, just point and click in whichever receiver you want to double team. Other Options to Choose During a Game Weather. The weather sometimes plays a crucial factor in the outcome of a game. A few football stadiums today are "domed" and weather would have no bearing on the outcome of the game. Clicking the mouse on Weather displays the current weather conditions at game-time. Clock. Managing the clock is a critical aspect of playing a good football game. So that you can manage the clock effectively, the clock menu is provided which allows for several options (see Figure 6). It is recommended that you select the option to have the clock menu displayed whenever the clock is running if you are trying to conserve time; in which case you should also tell your ball carrier or receiver to get out of bounds to stop the clock. TOM LANDRY STRATEGY FOOTBALL OFFENSE TIME 14:48 DOWN 2 o WASHINGTON o o o 0 0 0 0 o 0 QTR 1 TO GO 8 / BUFFALO o o o 0 0 0 0 o 0 YDLINE BUFFALO 42 THE CLOCK IS RUNNING. o Waste a Pass (Stops the clock, uses about 10 secs) o No Huddle (Quick Offense, uses about 10 secs) o Let the Clock Run (Down to About 14:08) / Call TIME OUT (Stops the clock) o Players try to get Out of Bounds / Bring this screen up whenever the clock's running Figure 6. Clock Screen Scout. Selecting Scout displays the scouting reports for the offensive units of your opponent. Each position is listed along with the player's name and the applicable scouting report. In addition, you may correlate the tendency for the offense/defense to call certain plays on a particular down, including their success rate. Subs. The Subs menu allows you to make player substitutions in the event the starter gets hurt or needs to rest for a few plays. From this menu you may select a backup player for any offensive or defensive player. See Figure 7, Substitutions/ NAME L R Q F St Sp H GRADE ACCURACY AVOID INTS QB RIPPIT 8 8 8 4 5 6 3 91 8/8/8 8/8/7 HB BOINER 9 4 7 8 6 78 ___________________ FL DUCK 6 3 5 6 6 70 | Coach: GAMBLER | FL POPE 7 3 5 7 9 85 | Run Blocking: 8 | LE CLAURE 8 3 6 7 7 78 | Pass Blocking: 8 | RE JOHNS 6 3 8 6 7 75 | Penalty Pct: 8 | |___________________| QB RIPPIT 8 8 8 4 5 6 3 91 8/8/8 8/8/7 QB HUMMEISTER 6 7 8 6 4 5 3 85 8/8/8 6/6/5 Figure 7. Substitutions Landry. Selecting Landry opens up to you a wealth of advice and wisdom collected over a lifetime by the legendary coach. By clicking on the SUGGEST button, Coach Landry gives advice on various play-calling strategies and will even suggest an offensive or defensive play should you need a little help in deciding on what play to call. His advice will change as the game progresses and the situation changes. Stats. The latest up-to-date statistics are available at any time during the game to keep you informed. Replay. Instant replay is a very powerful tool used by coaches, players, officials, and fans. Selecting Replay from the command bar enables you to control both the speed and direction of the replay. See Figure 8, Replay. _ _ < <|| |_| ||> > (_) Reverse Frame Stop Frame Forward Whistle by by (Play is over) Frame Frame Reverse Forward Figure 8. Replay Miscellaneous Penalties. Penalties occur in all football games, sometimes unexpectedly; the same is true in TLSF. TLSF includes all the penalties that occur in pro football, not just a few. Some penalties are optional, whereas others are not. During play when a penalty does occur; the referee will come on-screen to explain the infraction. If, for example, the penalty is against your opponent, you will be given the option of accepting or declining the penalty. If the penalty is against you, your opponent (human or computer) will of course choose to accept or decline the penalty. When playing against the computer, the computer will make the best choice for itself in regard to penalties. Quit. This command bar option is available to you anytime before, during, or after a game. If you select Quit before a game has started, you will be asked the following question: This exits Tom Landry Strategy Football. Are you SURE you wish to quit? To answer this question, you must select YES or NO. Selecting YES quits the game and returns you to the Football icon. Selecting NO returns you to the Main Menu. If you select Quit after you have already begun playing a game, you will be asked the following question: This exits the current game and returns to the Main Menu. Are you SURE you wish to quit? Selecting YES returns you to the Main Menu, and selecting NO returns you to the game you are currently playing. Load. Selecting Load takes you to an on-screen directory which shows you the games you have previously saved. If this is your first time to play TLSF, then there will not be any saved games on the Load screen. But is you have played TLSF and have saved your games, just click on any of the filenames you wish to automatically load. The game will pick up where you left off before. Save. Selecting Save takes you to an on-screen directory where you may save the game you are currently playing. To save your game, click on the first available line and give your current game a filename so that TLSF can save the game for you to resume at a later time. The filename that you select cannot exceed 39 characters, but it can contain any combination of characters and spaces; e.g. Buffalo vs. Washington. Help. TLSF's online Help is one of the most useful features of the game. Helpful hints and instructions on 24 major topics are contained within the online Help menu. Online Help is available to you anytime before, during, or after a game. To use the online Help, click on Help located in the command bar at the bottom of your computer screen. The Help is context-sensitive in that it gives you help concerning the topic relevant to where you are in a particular TLSF screen or menu action. For example, if you are currently on a Defense screen, clicking on Help will bring up a topic in the online Help called "Defensive Formations." Note: To access any topic, click on the topic where you desire information and the screen will automatically appear. The Game is Over - What Next? Following the completion of a game, the FINAL GAME STATS will automatically be displayed on the screen. To view the statistics of the Visiting Team, point and click on VISITOR. Once the visitor's stats are displayed, you may choose to review the rushing, receiving, passing, and the total yards. To view the Home Team's statistics, point and click on HOME. Once your stats are displayed, you may choose to review the rushing, receiving, passing, and the total yards. Clicking on GO! takes you to the End of the Game screen where you may view the scoring drives and update the season stats. View Scoring Drives Clicking on the VIEW SCORING DRIVES button takes you through each scoring drive of the game. The type of score (touchdown, field goal, or safety) is indicated at the top of the screen along with the following information: o who scored o in what quarter the score occurred o the game clock time o the number of yards covered in how many plays o The amount of time the drive consumed. To view each additional scoring drive, click on the Next button; to back up and look at previous drive, click on the Prev button. During the review of the scoring drives, you may opt to review the game film. To do this, click on the Replay button in the command bar to review whatever scoring drive you want. The message, Please Wait While We Load the Film, will be displayed until the game film is ready to be shown. At this point, the actions you need to review the film are exactly the same as for the instant Replay. Note: You also have the option of printing out the statistics of all your scoring drives by clicking on the Print All Drives button. This, of course, writes the data to a text file from which you may edit the text in a word processor. When finished editing the file, you may print it out on any compatible printer. When you are finished viewing the game film of a particular scoring drive, you may click on GO! to take you back to the End of Game screen. If you want to save the game you just finished playing, click on the Save button located in the command bar. Then click on the first available numbered line on the Save screen and enter an appropriate filename. Saving a complete game will enable you to review and replay scoring drives. When finished, clicking on CANCEL located in the command bar will save your game, and will return you to the End of Game screen. From here, clicking on GO! in the command bar will take you to the Main Menu where you may start a new game or you may choose to exit TLSF. Update Season Stats Clicking this button automatically saves the game statistics to a special file located on your hard disk. When you update season stats, the stats are automatically added to the Current Season Stats, which you may view the next time you play TLSF. Note: Saving game stats, season stats, individual stats, and game summaries: Selecting RECORD from any of these screens stores information on your hard disk, or your floppy disk, replacing the existing file. You can then view and print it from your favorite text editor. This is a very nice feature to use when playing a season of football with friends. TLSF keeps track of each game, including the game stats and scoring drives. Game-winning Play-calling Strategy TLSF has a wealth of football strategy available at your fingertips. Selecting the online Help brings up over 20 different topics to help you develop winning strategy during the game when you need it. This information is meant to supplement the online Help. Football Strategy In the early days of football, teams relied almost solely on guts. However, as the game progressed, innovative coaches like Lombardi, Shula, Landry, Walsh, and Gibbs have continually found ways to give the other teams headaches. With proper understanding and use of formations - offensive and defensive - even weaker teams can often find an edge over stronger opponents. The same holds true for the other components of the game. Winning offenses use motion and misdirection, while successful defenses confuse their opponents with shifting lines, blitzes, and different pass coverages. TLSF offers you all of the tools of the trade that "real" coaches use. Your assistant coaches have scouted your opponent and you can check their reports at anytime to recognize player strengths and weaknesses. As the game progresses, you should check the game stats. These can often reveal whether your opponent is focusing on a particular back or receiver, or leaning heavily on the run or pass. They may also show that you are over-playing your own hand and need to mix up your plays a little bit more. If you are playing against a computer coach, the scouting report even tells you his offensive tendencies for different parts of the field. Of course, those tendencies are not much use in lop-sided games, or against human coaches. Field Position The football field is 100 yards from your goal line to your opponent's goal, and where you are on the field should play a major role in your playcalling. Most coaches break the field up into five areas. Inside the offense's 20 is the dangerous part of the field. If you make one mistake here, your opponent likely has at least 3 points. Good quarterbacks will throw the ball away rather than be sacked or force the ball into a crowd. Rarely do you see pitches, reverses, or screens within the 20 yardline. From the 20 up to the 35 yardline, the offense can open up, but still has to avoid turnovers and sacks. Second and 9 isn't too bad, but second and 15 is real tough between the 20 and 35 yardlines. Offenses can call just about anything (playaction, misdirection, trick plays, bombs) between the 35 yardlines. Defenses usually go with zones, especially late in a game, but sometimes use blitzes to rattle the offense and perhaps force a mistake or at least a wasted down. Inside the 35 yardline, the offense is usually in field goal range, and almost never punts. The key here is to avoid losing yards, so the offense will call short and medium plays. Inside the 20 yardline is the most difficult part of the field from which to score. Pass routes must become shorter and the quarterback must get rid of the ball quicker. It is important to try to score either a touchdown or at least a fieldgoal every time you are within your opponent's 20 yardline. Passing To have a successful passing offense, receivers must know their routes and the quarterback must be able to hit his receivers. Nothing is more frustrating than completing a ten yard pass on 3rd and 14. The quarterback also must be able to read defensive formations and to call audibles at the line of scrimmage when necessary. The very short passes (Flare, Flat and Zoom) are designed to outwit blitzing defenses. Short passes are used to pick up 5 to 7 yards. Medium routes are good for 10 to 12 yards, while deep, medium, routes can usually yield about 13 to 16 yards. Long passes are good for at least 20 yards. Generally, man-to-man coverage is best against short passes; 2-Deep zones, against medium passes; and 3-Deep zones, against long passes. However, each defensive formation has its strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the 2-Deep zone is great against fly and corner patterns, but weak against posts. In man-to-man coverage, the presence of a Free Safety can make the difference between a long completion and a deep interception (the Weak Safety is "free" if he doesn't have to cover a receiver). Zone defenses are usually known for causing interceptions. Man-to-man coverage allows linebackers to blitz, which can cause loss of yards and fumbles. Offenses can attack man-to-man coverages with long passes, especially fly patterns and passes to backs (who are usually faster than the linebackers trying to cover them). Also, man-to-man coverages are usually not as good against runs, unless blitzing with Run focus. Attack zone defenses with short passes, draws, screens and playaction passes. Running The three types of runs are the power runs, bread-and-butter runs, and finesse plays. Power runs are used to wear down a defense, or when you need just a yard or two. The Line Plunge is the main power run. The off-tackle runs (slants) and sweeps are your basic runs. Slants are a little safer than sweeps, especially versus the 3-4 defense, while sweeps have more potential for longer gains. If the defense is over-pursuing ("keying on flow"), the offense has to call misdirection plays - counters and traps. Traps are particularly strong against zones and Nickel formations. Offensive Formations There are three basic groups of offensive formations: strong running sets, strong passing formations, and balanced formations. Using different sets can keep your opponent off balance. Use the strengths of each formation, but also mix in some running from passing sets. If you want a strong running game, especially inside, use mainly the Pro I and Brown formations. The Brown is particularly strong for the fullback running off the left tackle, while the I is very good for inside runs. For a more balanced attack, at the cost of some inside strength, use the Pro Set and One-back offenses. Both of these sets open up the one-back set is excellent for running counters. If you want a wide-open game, use the Run-and-Shoot formation. This offense spreads the defense across the field and gives the quarterback plenty of choices for receivers. If your quarterback has a slow release, or cannot find open receivers, plan on a lot of quarterback sacks. The Short Yardage and Shotgun formations are specialized formations; use them when you need them. They are particularly good for run and pass plays. Defensive Formations While the offense uses formations to maximize strength, the defense uses different sets to try to anticipate the offense's point of attack. Different formations are stronger against plays and weaker against others. One of the most interesting defensive positions is that of the Free Safety. Actually, there is no Free Safety position. Rather, there are two defensive safeties on the field - the Strong Safety and the Weak Safety (the names have nothing to do with their strength). The Strong Safety is responsible for covering the Tight End in man-to-man pass coverage or a deep zone in zones. The Weak Safety may also have an assignment. In zone coverage, he covers a deep zone. However, in man-to-man coverage, if all the receivers are already covered, he becomes a "free" safety. From there, he can react to the ball and often assists on both runs and passes. He can also be used to double-cover a receiver. Short zone coverage gives the defense five zones approximately ten yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and two deep zones extending to the remainder of the field. Short zones are very tough on medium and long passes, except posts. The deep zone set has 4 short and 3 deep zones, which is not quite as good against medium passes, but is better against the deep passes. SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW SKID ROW