Football game manual

Starting a game

Slide the switch to PRO 1 or PRO 2. Home starts at its own 20-yard line, first down and 10 yards to go. PRO 2 moves defenders faster. It is a two-team, pass-the-handheld game; one person may run both teams.

Run controls

The center orange button advances the ball carrier toward the opponent’s goal: Home travels left to right and Visitor right to left. The two orange buttons at right change lanes. Avoid the five defender lights; a collision ends the down.

Downs and field position

You receive four downs to gain 10 yards. A first down resets the count. The display uses team-side notation: H20 is Home’s 20-yard line and V35 Visitor’s 35. Reach the far end for a touchdown.

ST and SC

ST reports team, down, yards to go, and field position. SC reports Home score, time remaining, and Visitor score. The red display stays visible above the field in this recreation.

K · kick

On fourth down, use K to punt or try a field goal. Near the opponent’s goal line it tries a field goal; farther away it punts. After a touchdown, press K to kick off and give the other team the ball at its own 20. Field goals are 3 points; touchdowns are 6.

Original-game notes

The 1977 Football is a run-only game with a three-lane, nine-position LED field; passing arrived in Football II. It plays four 15-minute quarters (sped up in the original), and STATUS and SCORE reveal game information. This browser version adapts those ideas for touch and keyboard play.

Keyboard controls

Right Arrow runs forward. Up Arrow and Down Arrow change lanes. K kicks, S shows status, and C shows the score. On touch devices, press the physical-style controls directly.