Football

The Chicago Coin Machine Manufacturing Company's 1949 Football is a distinctive example of postwar electro-mechanical (EM) pinball design. Released just a couple of years after flippers transformed the game, it shows the industry adapting familiar sports themes to the new flipper era, with an EM mechanism of relays and electrical contacts controlling the action.

The Football machine's gameplay is characterized by its two flippers, two pop bumpers, and 12 tower bumpers, with the four red tower bumpers each topped with a distinctive large daisy bumper cap. The Scoring Zone in the upper playfield is an action ring, and a kick-out hole rounds out the layout. Notably, the game has no slingshots, further distinguishing it from its contemporaries. Players will enjoy the challenge of navigating the ball through the layout and working the various bumpers to score points.

Football is a testament to the craftsmanship of its era. Its design and artwork, while not as flashy as modern machines, exude a charming nostalgia that will appeal to collectors and enthusiasts of early flipper-era pinball, and with limited information documented about it, the game remains an inviting subject for pinball historians.