Is Football on Steam?

No. Football is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Football on?

Football is available on Atari 2600, Arcade.

When did Football release?

Football was first released on December 31, 1978.

Football

Dec 31, 1978SportAtari 2600Arcade

Football — frequently asked questions

Is Football on Steam?: No. Football is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Football on?: Football is available on Atari 2600, Arcade.
When did Football release?: Football was first released on December 31, 1978.

About Football

Football is a football game for two players. The game is played from a top down point of view of the field and features two skill levels and three game variations. Using the joystick you can choose from one of five different offensive or defensive plays. In the first game variation, after selecting a play you then control the players on the field. In the second game, you have the option of controlling your players after a play is selected or allowing the computer to control the players. The third game has the computer controlling the players at all times and you only need to select the plays you wish it to execute and indicate when you wish to punt or pass the ball. In all of the game variations the timer begins at 5 minutes, and is active only during plays. Of course, the team with the most points when the timer runs out wins!

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 2600, Arcade
Developer: Atari
Publisher: Atari
Game modes: Single player, Multiplayer
Themes: Action
Series: NFL

Details via IGDB.

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Built by
Atari 2600	1979	$4	$9	$39	Atari (designed by Bob Whitehead)

Also released on: Arcade. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

Complete

Sealed

$39

Label variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
Tele-Games	$3	$26	—
Text Label	$5	$9	$14

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Atari	Picture	CX2625	Common
North America Atari	Text	CX2625	Common
North America Atari	Silver	—	Scarce+
North America Sears	Text	99827	Common+
North America Unknown	Taiwan Cooper	—	—
Europe Quelle	Short	—	—

Also released in South America by CCE.

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1979
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 2 required
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

Bob Whitehead's early Atari football cart, cheap in every label.

Atari released Football for the 2600 in March 1979, also selling it through Sears, with Bob Whitehead credited as designer. Little else is documented about the cartridge beyond its designer, publisher and release date.

What the press said at the time

“That old devil screen flicker sabotages what would otherwise be a most innovative approach to reproducing football action within the limitations imposed by the VCS' relatively small memory.”
— Electronic Games, October 1982

“that pretty much sums up the problem with Atari VCS Football. Considering the limitations of the VCS, this game isn't all that bad. But that darned screen flicker just ruins the game.”
— Electronic Games, November 1984

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 2 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

Also on other platforms

Arcade

Atari 2600

Atari (designed by Bob Whitehead)

Worth knowing

Club price cut, 1982. By summer 1982 the Atari Club's Cartridge Checklist had already cut this launch-era cartridge to $12.95, while most other basic titles stayed at $22.95.
1981 dealer price. Atari's confidential retailer price list for January 1 to June 1, 1981 lists Football (CX2625) in its basic tier: dealers paid $14.00 against a suggested retail price of $22.95.

Before you buy

Low risk. Three versions are priced: the standard Atari cart, a Text Label cart and the Sears Tele-Games cart. All are inexpensive loose, but the Tele-Games cart costs noticeably more boxed. Check which label and box a listing shows before comparing prices.