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Pro-Football


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Pro-Football / IPD No. 1865 / January, 1973 / 1 Player
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    7.6/10  (21 ratings/18 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Company (1931-1977) [Trade Name: Gottlieb]
Date Of Manufacture: January, 1973
Model Number: 336
Type: Electro-mechanical (EM) [?]
Production: 4,500 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Sports - Football
Notable Features: Flippers (4), Pop bumpers (2), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (4), Vari-targets (2), Spinning target (1). Ball enters playfield from between the flippers when right flipper button is pressed. Extra pair of score reels on backglass tally the Point Score.

Maximum displayed High Score is 99,990 points.
Maximum displayed Point Score is 99 points.

Sound: 3 chimes, bell, knocker.

Design by: Ed Krynski
Art by: Gordon Morison
Notes: The 2-player version is Gottlieb's 1977 'Gridiron' but with different artwork.

John Osborne explains that he did not design Pro-Football but did design Gridiron:

The single-player Pro Football was just going into production when I started at Gottlieb. Pro Football was the only game that ever injured me. The story:

Since the game was in early production, there was one or two set up in the showroom at Gottlieb. Sometimes after lunch we'd go play these games. What I hated about Pro Football was that the ball could go out the side rollover while the motor was still running because of other scoring. The outlane rollover was very important --- it completed the football "run" across the playfield and gave a touchdown score. I am not much of a game pusher or tilter, but I got so frustrated from losing the outlane rollover score that I actually kicked the game. Being an amateur at this, all I did was cause an enormous bruise on my shin. At the same time I vowed that I would never design a feature like that, such a cheat for the player.

Of all games for Wayne to ask me to remake! This was my chance to fix this unjust feature. I made no change in the playfield but rather added a delay relay so that the rollover was "remembered" until the motor finished. I didn't tell Wayne I was doing it because I was afraid he might veto it on the grounds of adding expense. When he saw the result he was glad I had done it.

We previously showed a date for this game of February 1973. The new date is per Gottlieb documentation.

Photos in: Pinball PortfolioExternal Link, page 75
Pinball MemoriesExternal Link, pages 94-97
The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, page 161
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 52
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1865  (External site)
Documentation: 4 MB PDF Installation Procedures And Game Operating Instructions (manual) (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
  570 KB PDF Schematic Diagram (continuous) (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
  79 KB PDF Score & Instruction Cards (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 1797: Pro-Football Playfield
Playfield

430x543
 
Image # 4708: Pro-Football Flyer
Flyer

609x791
 
Image # 10952: Pro-Football Backglass
Backglass

432x576
 
Image # 10953: Pro-Football Playfield
Playfield

432x576
 
Image # 10954: Pro-Football Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

576x432
 
Image # 10955: Pro-Football Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

576x432
 
Image # 10956: Pro-Football Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

432x576
 
Image # 10968: Pro-Football Backglass
Backglass

400x487
[Bruno Durand]
Image # 18579: Pro-Football Backglass
Backglass

460x469
[Bob Borden]
Image # 30411: Pro-Football Backglass Detail
Backglass Detail

400x300
[Bruno Durand]
Image # 35348: Pro-Football Stripped Upper Playfield
Stripped Upper Playfield

1024x879
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 35349: Pro-Football Stripped Middle Playfield
Stripped Middle Playfield

1024x893
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 35350: Pro-Football Stripped Lower Playfield
Stripped Lower Playfield

1024x907
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 35351: Pro-Football Playfield Plastics
Playfield Plastics

401x981
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 35352: Pro-Football Playfield Plastics
Playfield Plastics

384x1024
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 40849: Pro-Football Illuminated Upper Playfield
Illuminated Upper Playfield

1200x900
[Olivier Mathe]
Image # 40850: Pro-Football Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

480x640
[Olivier Mathe]
Image # 51052: Pro-Football Backbox - Right
Backbox - Right

635x994
[Sean Kavanagh]
Image # 51053: Pro-Football Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

748x600
[Sean Kavanagh]
Image # 51054: Pro-Football Under Playfield
Under Playfield

556x900
[Sean Kavanagh]
Image # 51055: Pro-Football Inside Cabinet
Inside Cabinet

600x900
[Sean Kavanagh]
 

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