Excalibur NFL Game Time NF-06 User manual

USER’S GUIDE:
GAME TIME ELECTRONIC FOOTBALL
MODEL NO.: NF-06

Congratulations on your purchase of NFL Game Time Electronic Football! This is perhaps the most challenging, exciting NFL strategy game
ever! Players battle head-to-head for glory on the gridiron. Read your
opponent, choose your play, and direct your blockers—your cunning and a
little luck will determine who will emerge victorious!
Features:
• Authentic NFL field detailing
• Unique Play Rotor adds the element of fate
• Matrix LCD tracks the game
• Realistic sound and announcer voice
• Over 1,000 play combinations
• Control every phase of the game—offense, defense and special teams
LCD Screen
Game Clock Play Chart
Football Game
Piece
BLITZ
SNAP
Special
Teams Dial
Blocking
Dial
Play Dial
SOUND TIME
ON/OFF
Switch
Play Rotor
Down Display
“Football is a game played with arms, legs
and shoulders—but mostly from the neck
up.” —Knute Rockne
2

NFL Game Time Electronic Football is a 2-
player strategy game which tests your ability
to choose the right plays, direct blockers, read
your opponent and react to their strategy on
offense, defense and special teams. Choose
between three play types (Run, Short Pass,
Long Pass), four blocking schemes (End,
Center, Guard, Tackle), and several special
teams plays. On offense, you’re looking for
the play that fits the game situation and will
catch your opponent off guard. On defense,
you’ll try to predict your opponent’s play calls
to minimize their offensive production, and to
force big defensive plays and turnovers.
Football is more than just a game of
strategy—it’s also a game of execution, and
occasionally luck. Even the best coach can
never fully control what happens on the field.
That’s why the unique play rotor in the center
of the board will randomize your results.
That’s the way the ball bounces!
NFL Game Time Electronic Football requires
three (3) AA batteries, not included. To install
batteries, turn the unit over and place it face
down on a cloth or other soft surface. Use a
small, Phillips-head screwdriver to remove
the screw from the battery cover. Pull the tab
down and remove the cover.
Insert three (3) AA alkaline batteries in the
battery compartment, making sure to match
the polarity (+ and -) marked inside the
compartment. Replace the battery cover and
secure the screw.
See page 9 for additional battery information.

The LCD keeps track of all aspects of the
game. It is the scoreboard; it keeps track
of the distance to go before a first down;
it shows your position on the field; and it
displays the results of your play. An arrow on
the LCD shows which side of the 50-yard line
the ball is on. The LCD will also provide some
game instructions, when necessary.

The Game Clock counts down the time
remaining in each quarter using an
arrangement of 15 LEDs. The last two LEDs
are red, letting you know that time is winding
down. Beneath the circular clock is a row of
four LEDs that indicate the game quarter.
In the event of an overtime, the LEDs will
reset so that the first overtime period is
represented by the first LED, and so on.



Home Team
Score
Away Team
Score
Ball Location
Arrow
Ball Location Distance
to Go
Play Result Message
3

Note: the LEDs on the Game Clock will always
count down from the final LED to the first,
regardless of the quarter length you choose.
If you set the clock for 15-minute quarters,
each LED will represent 1 minute. If you set
the clock for a shorter quarter, each LED will
represent a smaller time increment.

Four LEDs are positioned just below the Play
Clock. These keep track of what Down the
offense is about to run. The fourth LED is red,
letting you know that it is a critical 4th down
play.

The Play Chart on the right side of the game
board shows the play calls that were chosen
by the Home team and the Away team. These
LEDs will light up immediately following the
play, so you can see what play and blocking
scheme your opponent just ran.

The SOUND button allows you to change the
volume of the voice and sound effects at any
time during the game. There are three sound
levels: Low, High, Off. When the game is first
turned on, the volume will be set at Low.
Press SOUND to increase the volume to High.
Press SOUND again to turn the volume Off.

Before the opening kickoff, press the TIME
button to change the length of the quarters.
The quarter length is set to 15 minutes by
default. Press TIME once to change to 10-
minute quarters. Press TIME again to change
to 5-minute quarters. Press TIME again to
select 3-minute quarters, which is the shortest
quarter length in NFL Game Time.
During the game, press TIME to stop the Play
Clock. Press again to restart the clock and
resume play.
Each side of the board is equipped with a
series of Game Dials and Buttons. While on
offense, use these dials to choose the play
you think will be most successful given the
game situation. On defense, try to guess your
opponent’s play call, setting your Game Dials
to defend against the offense’s attack.

The Play Dial has three positions: Run, Short
Pass, Long Pass. A typical Run will gain
about 5 yards; a Short Pass will gain about
10 yards, and a Long Pass will gain 20 yards.
However, your play’s success is determined by
a combination of the offensive play, defensive
play, offensive blocking scheme, defensive
blocking scheme, and the Play Rotor result.


4


The Special Teams Dial is used in any kicking
situation. It has five positions: Off, Kickoff,
Onside, Punt, Field Goal. The Special Teams
Dial must be in the Off position in order to
run a normal play.

The Blocking Dial directs your offensive and
defensive line. It has four positions: End,
Center, Guard, Tackle. If the defense chooses
the same blocking scheme as the offense,
the offense’s production on that play will
be severely limited. If the defense chooses
a blocking scheme that is similar to the
offense’s (End vs. Center, Guard vs. Tackle),
the offense’s production will be affected
minimally. If the defense chooses poorly (End
vs. Tackle, Guard vs. End), the offense will have
a much more successful play result.

The SNAP button begins the play by starting
the Play Rotor. It may only be pressed while
on offense, or as the kicking team.

The BLITZ button stops the Play Rotor and
signals the end of the play. The play result
will be displayed on the LCD immediately
after the Play Rotor stops.
Football is a game of strategy, but it’s also a
game of inches, close calls, luck, spectacular
plays and missed opportunities. The Play
Rotor is a wheel of fate—it affects every play
of every game.
The Play Rotor has five positions: A, B, C, D,
E. Each of these positions combines with the
play calls and blocking schemes to determine
the final play result. SNAP starts the Play
Rotor and BLITZ stops it, but that’s about all
the control you can count on.
Turn the game on by turning the ON/OFF
switch to the ON position. Before starting
your game, choose the length of your game
by pressing the TIME button repeatedly. LEDs
on the play clock will light up, letting you
choose between 15-minute, 10-minute, 5-
minute and 3-minute quarters. You will not
be able to change the quarter length after the
opening kickoff.

Players should flip a coin to determine Home
and Away. One player will flip the coin. If it
lands on heads, that player will be the Home
team. If it lands on tails, that player will be
Away. The Home team kicks off to start the
game. The Away team will kick off to start the
second half.

Every play is different, but in general,
A is neutral and does not favor either
side. B slightly favors the offense and C
slightly favors the defense. D strongly
favors the offense, while E strongly
favors the defense. If the play rotor
lands on E, there’s a good chance that
the ball is changing hands.

CALLING THE PLAY
The defense can adjust its play calls
until the BLITZ button is pressed. The
offense’s play is locked in as soon as the
SNAP button is pressed. Try to use this
brief delay to read the offensive coach’s
demeanor—you may turn this into a
critical advantage.
5

Football games are divided into four quarters,
with a special break in the action at halftime.
You’re probably familiar with how football
works, but here’s how it works in NFL Game
Time Electronic Football:

Play begins with the opening Coin Toss and
the ensuing Opening Kickoff.

The team that has the ball retains possession
and continues its drive. Remember, the 2nd
half will start with a new kickoff, so toward
the end of the 2nd quarter, the team with the
ball should try to get in position to score
before halftime.
HALFTIME:
Halftime pauses the game, and will last until
teams set the Special Teams dials to Kickoff
and the SNAP button is pressed.

The 2nd Half begins with a kickoff. The Away
team kicks off to start the 3rd quarter.

This is the final quarter of regulation, so
pay attention to the score and plan your
play accordingly. If you are ahead, you may
choose to control the ball by calling Run
plays. If you’re behind, you should take some
risks and mix Short and Long Passes.

At the end of 4 quarters, the team with the
most points is declared the winner. If the
teams are tied, a sudden-death overtime
period must be played. The length of the
overtime period will be equal to the length of
the quarters you decided on at the beginning
of the game.
The first team to score wins. If neither team
is able to score by the end of the overtime
period, a second overtime period is played.
This is continued until one team is able to
score and win the game.

The overtime period is played following the
same rules as the regulation game. The Home
team will kick off to begin overtime.
If a second overtime period is required,
the Away team will kick off to begin the
period. Teams will continue alternating the
overtime kickoff until one team wins the
game.


• Kicking team selects “Kickoff” on middle
dial.
• Receiving team selects “Kickoff” on middle
dial.
• Both Kicking and Receiving team choose a
blocking scheme on right dial.
• Kicking team presses SNAP button to start
the rotor.
• Receiving team presses BLITZ to stop the
rotor.
• Receiving team takes over on Offense.
NOTE: The kickoff cannot occur until the
Kicking team chooses “Kickoff” on the dial. If
the Receiving team fails to select “Kickoff” on
the dial, the play continues, but the result of
the play is a touchback, and the Receiving
team will take over on offense on their own
20-yard line.


6


Teams may attempt an onside kick in any
kickoff situation. Blocking schemes do not
affect the outcome of the play.
Onside vs. Onside
If the Kicking Team chooses Onside Kick and
the Receiving team also chooses Onside Kick,
the success rate is very low.
• If successful, the Kicking team recovers the
ball at the 50-yard line.
• If unsuccessful, the Receiving team
recovers the ball on the 50-yard line.
Onside vs. Kickoff (or any other defense)
If the Kicking team selects Onside Kick
and the Receiving team chooses any other
defense, the success rate is much higher.
Onside kicks vs. any other defense are
successful about twice as often as when the
Receiving team correctly looks for the Onside
kick, but are still successful less than 50% of
the time.
• If successful, the Kicking team recovers the
ball at the 50-yard line.
• If unsuccessful, the Receiving team
recovers the ball on the 50-yard line.

To run a standard play (not Special Teams),
your Special Teams dial must be set to OFF.
If either team has the Special Teams dial set
on any other position, the LCD will display a
message reminding you to change both dials.
• Offense and Defense select play and
blocking scheme.
• Offense presses SNAP to start the rotor.
• Defense presses BLITZ to stop rotor.
The play result will be either:
Run
Yardage will be applied to the ball location,
and down and distance will be adjusted.
The yardage may be negative.
Pass Complete
Yardage will be applied to the ball location,
and down and distance will be adjusted.
The yardage may be negative.
Incomplete Pass
0 yards gained on the play, and loss of
down (2nd and 4 becomes 3rd and 4).
Sack
Negative yardage will be applied to the ball
location, and down and distance will be
adjusted.
Interception
Defense takes possession. The ball location
will be changed where necessary.
Example:
• 2nd & 5, ball on the Defense’s
40-yard line
• Play result: Interception,
-10 yards
• Next play: 1st & 10, possession
changed, ball on 50-yard line
• Fumble
Defense takes possession. The ball location
will be changed where necessary.

As in real football, the Offense has 4 plays
to move the ball 10 yards from the line of
scrimmage. If the Offense moves the ball 10
yards or more in 4 plays or less, they receive a
new set of downs (1st and 10). This is repeated
until the offense reaches the goal line and
scores a touchdown, or until the Offense is
unable to achieve 10 yards in 4 downs or less.
7

• If the Offense runs a play on 4th down and
is unable to make a first down, the Defense
takes possession of the ball at the last ball
location.
• The Offense may also choose to Punt or
attempt a Field Goal on 4th down, if they
do not think they will be able to make a
first down on the next play.

The Offense may choose to attempt a punt
when the player does not think they will
make a first down on the next play. A punt
may be kicked on any down, but is almost
always kicked on 4th down.
• Offense selects “Punt” on middle rotor
• Offense chooses a blocking scheme on the
right rotor
• Defense selects “Punt” on the middle rotor
and selects a blocking scheme
• Offense presses SNAP to start the rotor
• Defense presses BLITZ to stop the rotor
It is possible to score a touchdown on a
Punt return. If the yardage on the punt
return moves the past the goal line, it is a
touchdown. The closer the kicking team is to
their own end zone, the more likely this is to
happen.
If the defense fails to select “Punt” on the
Special Teams dial, the play proceeds as
normal and a return is made as normal.


When the offensive play moves the ball
position past the goal line, the result is a
touchdown.
Regardless of the length of the offensive play,
if the ball position moves past the goal line,
the result is a touchdown.
Example:
• 1st and Goal from the 2-yard line.
• Long Pass
• Result: Touchdown.
• TDs are worth 6 points.
• Extra point OR 2-point conversion is
attempted following a touchdown.

To attempt an extra point, the Offense and
Defense should set the Special Teams dials to
Field Goal. An extra point is basically a very
short field goal, and will be successful about
98% of the time.
Extra point attempts are followed
immediately by a Kickoff.

To attempt a 2-point conversion, the scoring
team must turn the Special Teams dial to the
OFF position. The offense will run a play from
the 2-yard line.
Note: Yardage is hard to come by this close
to the end zone, so you’ll need a good play
and good execution to be successful. Plays
that might gain more than 2 yards in a normal
offensive situation may not be successful
when attempting a 2-point conversion.
2-point conversion attempts are followed
immediately by a Kickoff.

The Offense may attempt a Field Goal on any
down, when the team is in field-goal range.
Field Goals longer than 65 yards may not be
attempted. This means that the offense may
not attempt a Field Goal from beyond its own
48-yard line (this is because of the 10-yard
end zone and a 7-yard snap).
• Offense must set the Special Teams dial to
“Field Goal”. Blocking schemes do
not affect Field Goal attempts.

8

• Defense should set the Special Teams dial
to “Field Goal”.
• Offense presses SNAP to start rotor.
• Defense presses BLITZ to stop rotor.
The length of the kick, in conjunction with the
Play Rotor, determines the success or failure
of a Field Goal. Kicks that are shorter than 25
yards will almost always be successful, while
very long kicks will rarely be successful.

• 3 points awarded to successful Offense.
• Next play will be a Kickoff. The team that
just scored kicks the ball away.

• No points awarded.
• If the offense attempts a FG unsuccessfully
on any down, result is loss of possession.
The defense receives the ball from the
spot of the kick, which is 7 yards behind
the previous line of scrimmage.
Example
• 4th and 10, ball on the 30.
• FG attempted (from the 37) and
unsuccessful
• Defense takes possession
• 1st and 10, ball on the 37

A safety occurs when the Offensive team
starts a play near their own end zone and
runs a play that results in negative yardage,
moving them backward to the 0-yard line or
into the end zone. When a safety happens,
the Defensive team is awarded 2 points.
The team that allowed the safety must then
kick the ball from its own 20-yard line. The
teams should set the Special Teams dial to
“Punt”. Play proceeds as normal. The team
that scored the safety has the ball.
• Avoid rough handling such as bumping or
dropping.
• Avoid moisture and extreme temperatures.
For best results, use between the
temperatures of 39ºF and 100ºF
(4º C and 38º C).
• Clean using only a slightly damp cloth. Do
not use cleaners with chemical agents.
• Batteries should be installed and replaced
only by an adult.
• NFL Game Time Electronic Football uses 3
AAA batteries, not included.
• Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc)
or rechargeable (NiCd) batteries.
• Do not mix old and new batteries.
• Do not use rechargeable batteries.
• Remove exhausted batteries from the unit.
• Do not short circuit battery terminals.
• Remove batteries and store them in a cool,
dry place when not in use.
• To avoid explosion or leakage, do not
dispose of batteries in a fire or attempt to
recharge alkaline or other non-
rechargeable batteries.


9
Excalibur Electronics, Inc reserves the right to make
continuing improvements. Features and functions
may not operate exactly as described.
+
-
+
-
-
+
+
3 x
The diagram above shows how to remove and
install the 3 AA alkaline batteries required.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
harmful interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment
off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet
on a circuit different from that to which
the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.
 
“Gentlemen, this is a football.”
—Vince Lombardi
10