4TH AND INCHES

PRE GAME CEREMONIES

Welcome of pro football the way it's really played. Eleven on eleven, full offence 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 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.

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	plugged into Port 1. When Port 1
1 and that a joystick (if		or Port 2 is listed, only
avail) is plugged into Port	joysticks should be plugged in.
2.			

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

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 centre 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 LMB. 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 the LMB.)

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 offence 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 LMB - the equivalent of centring the joystick.

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 space-bar 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.

The Coach's Screen

Press the space-bar to go to the Coach's Screen, where you can view the score-board, 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 line-up. 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! for the slowest and strongest. In general, the bigger and stronger, the slower they are.

THE PLAYS

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

Offence					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 colour of the boxes tells you which team is on offence and which is on defense.

Play selection: Offence 

Running Plays			Kicking Plays

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

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)
R Dog
L Dog
M Dog
R Blitz
L 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.

			Offence			Defense

Kicker		L Tight End		R Linebk
Fullback		R Tight End		M Linebk
Lf Fullback	L Wide Receiver		L Linebk
Rt Fullback	R Wide Receiver		R Safety
Lf Halfback	L Wingback			L Safety
Rt Halfback	R Wingback			R Corner
							L Corner

THE PLAYBOOK

The key to successful offence 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
 
Running Plays

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

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.
