HandFBall is a program to track an American rules football game on your Palm compatible handheld computer. It adapts to the rules and scoring for three game types: 11 player, 6 player, and 8 player. It supports both color and black and white screens and requires PalmOS 3.5 at the minimum. It has been tested on a Palm IIIc and in emulation on a Palm IIIx.
HandFBall and this document are copyrighted © 2000, 2001 Frank Golazeski, all rights are reserved.
You must read and agree to the license file that came with this package!
By Frank Golazeski
FrankGol@Hotmail.com
Watching American rules football (from now on referred to as "football") on television got me used to having information available from the commentators and on screen graphics. When I'm watching football live, I missed not having data available to me like, "How close is the running back to having 100 yards?", "Another penalty, is that their 8th?", or "Has the quarterback completed any passes yet???"
So.... I created HandFBall as a means of having some simple game data available right in my hand.
HandFBall is a simple way to track a game while it's in progress. HandFBall is Freeware. It's free to use and free to distribute per the license information in the distribution package but it is copyrighted to me, Frank Golazeski, 2000 and I retain all rights to it.
HandFBall is a kind of "Hands-tied ware". I work for a software company and my hands are tied in terms of being able to write software on my own for profit yet I enjoy writing code. You get to use the results of my hobby for free.
I've tested HandFBall on Palm OS version 3.1, 3.3, and 3.5.
HandFBall is the product of human and a machine, therefore HandFBall is not perfect. USE HANDFBALL AT YOUR OWN RISK. I DO NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE, LOST DATA, ETC. THAT YOU INCUR FROM USING HANDFBALL.
HandFBall is intended to provide simple game summary information. It is not an in depth data analyzer. If you want to further analyze the data HandFBall captures, you will need to do some programming or some spreadsheet work on your PC using the flat file data file that gets created on your PC when you synchronize your handheld device.
Use HandFBall to enter the actions on the field as they occur (or in between each play so you don't miss any action).
The main screen is shown here:
This main screen is called the "Play Frame"; it is where you record what happens in a play. On the left, below the text "Down" is the down selector. Tap a down number or "Spcl" for special plays like kick offs, point after touchdown plays, or free kicks (following a safety)..
On the left at the top and bottom are buttons that indicate which way the two teams are moving on the field. In the above example, Home defends the upper goal line and travels forward down the field. The "up" or "down" of the field on the handheld screen probably depend on from where you're watching the game.
At-> indicates the yard line at which the action is occurring. The two selectors indicate the tens place and units place of the yard line. "G" represents the goal lone and the dash at the to or bottom represent yards inside either end zone, as in "The kick is caught to yards deep in the end zone" would be indicated by tapping the dash at the appropriate end of the left yard selector and the "2" on the right one. Note: if the ball is at midfield, right on the 50 in 11 player mode or 40 in 6 or 8 player mode, when you tap the 5 (or 4) in the left selector, the right selector is hidden.
In the center area of the screen, there is the play selector. It is used to indicate what happened. The play recording starts when you tap an action such as "Run play", "Kick off", or "Pass play". On slippery days, the play might start off with a Fumble if the Quarterback and Center are having some trouble. Once you've successfully selected the correct information for a play, you can tap the Enter button to move to the next action. At that point the play selector will show appropriate follow on actions from the previous action you tapped. An undo button will pop up too allowing you to step back and re-do some action in the play.
Above the play selector is a button that shows possession. It toggles between the two teams to show who has the ball. It sometimes changes on its own, for example, if Home is kicking off, you should tap the possession button until Home is displayed in it. Once you indicate the receiving team has caught the kickoff ("Kick Caught") the possession button will switch itself to, in this example, "Visitor".
The right side has two selectors below the "By/To Player" text. These selectors are used to indicate the number of the player involved in the action.
Finally, at the top of the screen are the name of the file data being used and the current quarter. The filename starts out as "HandFBall - Untitled". You can change to a more meaningful name via the File Load screen (explained later).
Here's how you start using HandFBall at a game. When you start HandFBall, it loads the play screen and is pretty much in the same state of the game from when you last used it. Start a new game by tapping the menu button and then tapping File. Tap New... (or Load, it doesn't matter too much actually). The File load frame (shown below) is displayed:
The filename selector is shown and it lists all of the HandFBall files available for loading. You can tap one and press the Load button (shown as "New" in the picture). Alternatively, you can write in a file name in the "File:" field and tap the New button. For ease, you can tap a file name and modify it in the File field to create a new file name similar to an existing one.
Create or tap a filename, tap either New or Load and you've created or loaded a game file.
You're back at the Play frame but we're not quite ready to start. Tap the File / Game mode menu item and select the game rules for either 11, 8, or 6 player football.
Then record the game information by tapping Record then either Scoreboard, or Teams/Date and you're taken to the Scoreboard frame. This frame not only shows you the quarter by quarter scoreboard, it lets you modify the team names, in case they're named something more meaningful than Home or Visitor. If you modify the names, they'll get reflected wherever team names are shown. The date button above the team names will bring up the date selector screen that lets you record a date for the game.
Tap done once you've updated the game date and team names and you're back at the Play Frame. If this is the start of the game, you'll want to set the quarter so tap the menu button, tap Time, and then tap 1st Quarter. Note the options for the rest of the quarters as well as overtime.
Next tap the top or bottom direction buttons (that display either team name) to swap the direction the teams move forward up or down the field. Finally, tap the possession button to show how will be kicking off. Let's say Home will kick off and will be traveling top to bottom.
This is the big time, so the tee is placed on Home's 30 yard line and the great number 2 will kick off. If you haven't tapped Kick off, do so, then tap Enter.
Visitor's #34 catches the ball two yards deep in his end zone. Tap the dash at the bottom end zone and 2 in the yard line selectors (pointed to by At). Tap Kick Caught and 3 4 in the player number selectors on the right. The possession button changes to show that Visitor now controls the ball. Unwisely #34 decides to run the ball out of the end zone rather than accepting the touchback (Undo and tap Touchback had #34 decided that) and advances the ball only out to the 16 where #84 tackles the runner. Tap 1 (the "1" on the Visitor end of the field) and 7. Tap Tackled / OOB and 8 4 as the tackling player and then tap Enter.
Because the play has ended, the Review Play frame displays in text, what play you just entered and you have the ability to save the play (Keep) or throw it out (Erase) and re-enter it. This frame is shown below. Note that HandFBall displays plays using absolute yard lines so the bottom goal line is yard 100. Since the ball was caught 2 yards deep, it is shown as yard 102.
Note also the Count as First Down button. Although Visitor now gets the ball first down, this should not be tapped. This button should be used when the team's offense earns a first down to be credited in its offensive stats. If you tap Count as First Down a "First Down!" Indicator displays. You can retap the first down button to toggle off the first down indication.
Visitor's offense comes onto the field and the Play Frame is displayed. Ensure the direction buttons are correct and the possession button shows the visiting team. Tap 1st down in the down selector. Visitor tries a running play by giving the ball to #22. #22 darts ahead before being tackled by player 66 at the 22 yard line - a gain of 5 yards. Tape Run Play and 22 in the player selector. Tap Enter.
Tap 22 in the yard selector (be sure the 20 is the 20 yard line near the Visitor's goal line). Tap Tackled / OOB and then tap 66 as the tackling player. Tape Enter and the play ends. The Review Frame lets you check to see if what you entered reasonably approximates what happened. Check that yard lines, the players, and the possession team all look correct. If you're satisfied, tap Keep, otherwise tap Erase and re-tap the play.
HandFBall has a few screens for displaying data; mostly I created data display screens for information I'm primarily interested in as I sit in the stands. To do the real number crunching you can easily import the data file into your favorite PC spreadsheet.
The scoreboard displays quarter by quarter scores, including a column for any points scored in overtime periods. If you care about how the points are scored by quarter, be sure to set the correct quarter in the Time menu.
To view the scoreboard display, tap the menu button and then Record, Scoreboard (Teams/Date will work too). When you're finished, you tap the Done button to return to the play entry screen.
Tap Stats, and then either Game Summary, Rushing, Passing, or Receiving to see a screen displaying some game stats for both teams. HandFBall reads through the game data to count up the information so as the game goes on, the wait time will grow. A progress bar will give you a graphical view of the data reading as it goes along. Tap the Cancel button to interrupt the data reading and you will return to the play entry screen.
Once the data's been read, a data screen will show a column view of the game data you've selected. Some notes:
Tap Record, Review Plays to see plays that have been entered for the game. A shortfall of HandFBall is that you cannot edit plays, per se, but you can delete plays. The play review screen shows the most recent play entered. You have the ability to scroll back and forth through the data a play at a time by tapping the left and right pointing buttons (respectively) or scroll 10 plays at a time by tapping the double arrow buttons. Tap Done when you're finished reviewing plays. Tap Erase to delete a play.
HandFBall tracks data as you enter it. For the most part it follows along the flow of a game. It wouldn't hurt to look at some specific instances of particular events and how to enter them.
If a score occurs on a play, tap Score and then tap either Touch Down, Safety, or PAT Made (running or passing for the point(s) after a touch down) as appropriate. It's important to tap the correct end zone yard line when indicating the score so that the runner, passer, or receiver get credit for the yardage.
Field goals or kicked extra point attempts are entered as FG/PAT Kick. Then indicate if the kick was good or not. If is was good, specify whether the kick was a field goal or a point after touchdown.
Scoring in HandFBall for each game mode is shown as follows:
| 11 Player | 8 Player | 6 Player | |
| Touch Down | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Kicked PAT | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| PAT ran or passed | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Field Goal | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Safety | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Enter as a normal kick off but indicate the kick was recovered by the kicking team by tapping (Rec by Kickers) and continue the play.
Fumbles can happen practically anytime in a play so the Fumble action appears in the play screen selector box. Tap fumble when it happens in a play. For example, a running back fumbling the ball might go like: Run Play at the 22, then at the 33 the player fumbles the ball. Tap 3 3 and Fumble.
If the snap is fumbled, start the play by tapping Fumble. If a punter fumbles the long snap, tap Fumbled Snap. If the punt returned fumbles or muffs the catch, tap Catch Dropped; if the returner catches the ball, runs a few yards, and then fumbles the ball tap Kick Caught, then Fumble.
Fumbles then allow you to designate which team recovered the ball, either offense or defense. Offense is the team that has the ball at that moment in time and Defense is the other team. For example, the punt team or kick off team is offense up until the returning team catches the ball, or muffs the catch; at those points in time, the return team becomes offense. The possession button at the top of the play screen shows who is considered to be the offensive team.
A recovered fumble does not ends the play because the ball can be advanced by the recovering team. If a player dives on the ball to recover it, tap the appropriate recovery action, and then tap Tackled / OOB to end the play (unless a score occurred as a result of the recovery).
Penalties are indicated by tapping Penalty. It's important to decide when to tap it though. For example, if a running play goes 80 yards and includes a lateral to a 2nd rusher, a holding penalty will nullify everything. So Undo everything and start the play off by tapping Penalty. Once a penalty is started, indicate if it's against offense or defense, (or offsetting if both) as well as the penalized player, if you care. Then tap the new line of scrimmage with the yard line selectors and tap New Ball Placement. The difference in the yard lines where the penalty was noted and the new ball placement is at counts as the yards assessed for that penalty when the Game Summary is displayed.
Penalties tacked on after the end of a play are handled like this: 1) end the play with Tackled / OOB and then start a play with Penalty at the place the penalty occurred and 2) note the new ball placement.
Be sure to set the correct down after a penalty.
Tap the menu button and then Time. The drop down menu allows you to indicate the new quarter or overtime period.
If the direction of play changes, you toggle the direction the teams' offense goes by tapping the direction buttons at the top or bottom end zones on the play entry screen. Then, unless the ball's at midfield, change the yard line by moving the 10 yard line selector to the opposite half of the field.
The HandFBall data file easily imports into a spreadsheet on your PC. The sync process with your PC copies the file from your handheld to your PC. You ought to see the file in either the CASL backup folder or the HandFBall backup folder. The file has a .cdb extension and is in comma delimited text format. All of the records starting with the pound sign ("#") can be ignored. The data columns are in this order: