4th & Inches

Pre Game Ceremonies

Welcome of pro football the way it's really played. Eleven on eleven, full
offense against full defense. You're the coach; you call the plays. And
you're the player: quarterback, running back, receiver, middle linebacker,
defensive back. This is good, hard, straight football action. So loosen
up. It's time to boot up for the big game.

The Toss of the Coin

1. Plug in your joystick, if you're using one.

2. Kickstart your computer with Kickstart version 1.2 (if applicable).
Then insert your 4th & Inches disk into the disk drive with the label
side up. Turn on the computer, and the program loads automatically.

3. So that you don't lose your current game, leave the disk in the drive
until you are finished playing.

4. To restart the game, press the ESC key.

Controls

After the program loads, this prompt appears:

What is plugged into Port 1?

1) Joystick
2) Mouse

If you want to play with two joysticks, plug in the second joystick. If
you want to use a mouse, it must be plugged into port 1.

1

SELECT GAME OPTIONS

After you've answered the first prompt, the Game Selection menu appears.
Use the joystick or mouse to cycle through and select game options.

To select the length of time for each quarter, move the joystick
or mouse forward (or up) to highlight the Minutes Per Quarter
option. Then press the fire button or click the left mouse button
to cycle through and make your choice: 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

To select a playing configuration, highlight the ALL PROS vs.
CHAMPS option and press the fire button or left mouse button to
cycle through the various one-player and two-player options.

Options include:

Mouse Options Joystick Options

These options assume your These assume that a joystick is
mouse is plugged into Port 1, plugged into Port 1. When Port 1
and that joystick (if available) or Port 2 is listed, only joysticks
is plugged into Port 2. should be plugged in.

ALL PROS vs. CHAMPS ALL PROS vs. CHAMPS

Joystick Mouse Port 2 Port 1
Joystick Computer Port 2 Computer
Mouse Joystick Port 1 Port 2
Mouse Computer Port 1 Computer
Computer Mouse Computer Port 1
Computer Joystick Computer Port 2

After you make a selection, press the space bar to start the game.

2

KICKOFF AND GAMEPLAY

The play screen: Divided into four sections - the field, offensive play
selection box, defensive play selection box, and the time-to-go,
yards-to-score box.

The line of scrimmage: Displayed in the center of your field of vision with
about ten yards showing in either direction. An arrow at the bottom of the
field marks the 1st down yard line.

Choosing plays: Offensive and defensive selection boxes are separated by a
series of arrows which correspond to the joystick positions. To make a
selection, move the joystick to the indicated position, then press the fire
button. Selections are highlighted in one player mode, but not with two
players - that way, your opponent can't see your selections.

To make a selection with a mouse, move the mouse in the direction of the
arrow beside the desired play, then press the left mouse button. (Important
note to mouse users: For the rest of this manual, interpret the command to
press the fire button on your joystick as the command to press your left
mouse button.)

Selection boxes: For most plays, three successive actions are needed to
select a team formation, the play itself, and the position you want to
take. But only one action is required for kickoffs and extra points. Refer
to the sections marked The Plays and Playbook for a list of the possible
selections and a description of the positions and plays.

The snap: The players move to the line of scrimmage after offense and
defense formations are chosen. After you select the play and position, the
action starts automatically. In a few seconds, a player on each side
blinks. These are the players you control.

If you've elected to pass, the quarterback throws the ball when you press
the fire button. After the throw, the play "zooms" to the receiver. If he
catches it, he blinks, and you now control his running.

Important note: When you use the mouse to control a player, he will
continue to run in the direction the mouse moves until you press the left
mouse button - the equivalent of centering the joystick.

3

Defense: You also control the blinking defender. When a zoom shifts the
action to another display, you may automatically control a different
player.

Kicks: To punt, press the fire button after the punter receives the ball
and begins to blink. To kick off, or to boot field goals and extra points,
press the fire button as the kicker approaches the holder. Timing is
critical and practice makes perfect.

Timeouts

To call a timeout (you get three per half), press the spacebar to go to the
Coach's Screen. Then move the joystick up to highlight the TIMEOUT line,
and press the fire button.

Penalties

Because there are no referees in 4th & Inches, there are no penalties. But
there are some limits. In the one-player game, you can go to the Coach's
Screen only once per quarter after you've selected a formation. Do it more
than once, and you're penalized five yards.

However, you can go to the Coach's Screen after a formation is set if you
call a timeout. And, of course, you can go to the Coach's Screen as often
as you like before you select a formation.

4

The Coach's Screen

Press the spacebar to go to the Coach's Screen, where you can view the
scoreboard, call timeouts, substitute players, and check player statistics.
To return to the play field, press the space bar again, and the play
selection process begins.

Selecting players: For each position, there is a first and second-string
player. The computer automatically selects the first-string players at the
beginning of each game. But you can select second-stringers by moving the
joystick or mouse up or down until the player's name is highlighted, then
press the fire button.

For some plays (double tight end plays, for example), both first and
second-string players are automatically substituted into the lineup.
Special teams are usually composed of second-stringers. However, your
first-string wingback returns all punts and kickoffs.

Player stats: Statistics for each highlighted player are shown at the
bottom of the screen. These include height, weight, and years played, as
well as a qualitative assessment of speed and strength such as: SPEED!,
FAST, QUICK, STEADY, SOLID, STRONG, TOUGH, BIG!. SPEED! is used for the
fastest players and BIG!

SPEED! is used for the fastest players and BIG! for the slowest and
strongest. In general, the bigger and stronger, the slower they are.

5

THE PLAYS

Formations: Five formations from the following list are displayed, and one
can be selected for each play.

Offense Defense

Field Goal & Extra Points 3-4 (good against the run)
Punt 4-3 (good against the pass)
Short Yardage Flex (fairly good against both)
Double Tight End Nickel (very good vs. the pass)
Pro Set Short (Yardage)
Strongside Back (very good vs. the run)
Weakside Back
Double Wing
Spread
Shotgun w/Back
Shotgun w/o Back

Offensive selections are always made at the bottom of the Field Screen in
the larger of the two boxes. Defensive picks are made in the smaller one.
The background color of the boxes tells you which team is on offense and
which is on defense.

Play selection: Offense

Running Plays Kicking Plays

Power, Rt Run Power, Lf Run Kickoff
Sweep, Rt Run Sweep, Lf Run Kick (field goal or punt)
Draw, Run QB Sneak Onside Kick
Pitchout, Rt Run Pitchout, Lf Run Sideline Kick (punt)
Offtackle, Rt Run Offtackle, Lf Run

6

Passing Plays

Screen, Pass Turn-around, Pass
Quick In, Pass Quick Out, Pass
Short Hook, Pass Short Curl, Pass
In, Medium Pass Out, Medium Pass
Hook, Medium Pass Curl, Medium Pass
Post, Long Pass Corner, Long Pass
Fly, Long Pass Streak, Long Pass

Play Selection:
Defense

Return (also used for kicking plays)
No Blitz (also no dog)
Rt Dog
Lf Dog
Mid Dog
Rt Blitz
Lf Blitz

NOTE: A "Blitz" is a rush by a defensive back such as a cornerback or
safety. A "Dog" is a rush by a linebacker.

Position Selection:

From the following list of positions, five are displayed and one can be
selected for each play.

Offense Defense

Kicker Lf Tight End Rt Linebk
Fullback Rt Tight End Mid Linebk
Lf Fullback Lf Wide Receiver Lf Linebk
Rt Fullback Rt Wide Receiver Rt Safety
Lf Halfback Lf Wingback Lf Safety
Rt Halfback Rt Wingback Rt Corner
Lf Corner

7

THE PLAYBOOK

The key to successful offense is knowing what play to call in a given
situation and executing that play to perfection. You're the on-field
general. When you call a play in the huddle, you must be confident that
everyone knows where to go and what to do when they get there.

Passing Plays

L| Plays to the inside of the field
I|
N| Quick In Curl
E| | \ In
| Short Curl | \ | Post
O| \ | | | /
F| | | | | /\
| / | / | / \
S||-------------------------------------------------------------------Streak
C|| \ \ | \ | \ \
R|| / | | | | \ Corner
I|| Turn- / | | | \
M|| Around Short Hook | / | \-----Fly
M|| | / Out
A|| Quick Out Hook
G||
E|| Plays to the outside of the field
\|/
Screen

Running Plays

___Pitchout
/
/
/
/
|
| Sweep
| /
| /
| /
| / Off Tackle
| / /
| / /
| / /
| / / Power
| / / /
| / / /
| / / /
| / / /
|// /
/---------------------------Draw
\___* --------------QB Sneak

8


On-field positions:

This diagram shows more than the standard eleven positions on offense and
defense, but, of course, only eleven on each side play at a time.

| Rt Lf
| Safety Safety
| Rt Lf
| Corner Corner
|
Defense: | Rt Rt Mid Lf Lf
| Outside Inside Linebk Inside Outside
| Linebk Linebk Linebk Linebk
|
| Rt Rt Nose Lf Lf
| Tackle Guard Guard Guard Tackle
Line |
Of----+-----------------------------------------------------------------
Scrimmage |
| Lf Lf Lf Lf Center Rt Rt Rt Rt
| Wide Tight Tackle Guard Guard Tackle Tight Wide
| Receiver End End Rec.
|
| Lf Rt
Offense: | Wingback Quarterback Wingback
|
|
| Lf Fullback Rt
| Halfback Halfback

HINTS, TIPS AND STRATEGY

* If a game ends in a tie, you can play an unlimited number of "sudden
death" overtime quarters.

* From time to time, the Coach's Screen appears automatically to show the
results of a play just run.

* Receivers are human, so of course they occasionally won't execute their
pass routes to perfection. Remember, when going down the middle, these
guys are sometimes intimidated by defensive backs.

* In general, longer passes have a lower percentage of success than short
ones.

* If you select a pass play, you don't have to pass - just don't press the
fire button and you can run. However, it doesn't work the other way
around; call a run and you have to run because the fire button won't
work. No "audibles" at the line of scrimmage on a run.

* Once the play starts, the quarterback cannot run up, down or out of the
display field area until he first crosses the line of scrimmage.

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