OWNER’S MANUAL
1 | INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE
Please unpack SkillzMachine very carefully and ensure that all items are included and undamaged.
Each SkillzMachine for field hockey includes:
(if you also received accessories for ice hockey, listed in next section, you don’t have to use them)
- SkillzMachine board
- SkillzBALL (two)
- SkillzTURF and anchors
- Power Cord
Each SkillzMachine for ice hockey includes:
(if you also received accessories for field hockey, listed in section above, you don’t have to use them)
- SkillzMachine board
- SkillzPUCK (two)
- SkillzBANDS (puck rebounder bands and anchors)
- SkillzSPRAY (non-friction spray)
- Power Cord
IMPORTANT: Do not operate SkillzMachine if any parts are missing or damaged. If any parts are missing or damaged, please contact your dealer immediately.
2 | TECHNICAL DATA
DIMENSIONS
- SkillzMachine board: 67″ by 32.75″ (170 cm by 83 cm)
- Weight of SkillzMachine board: 16 lbs 12 oz (7.6 kg)
- Weight of SkillzBALL: ~6oz (within an acceptable range of variations)
- Weight of SkillzTURF: TBD
- Diameter of SkillzPUCK: 3 inches
- Weight of SkillzPUCK: TBD
POWER ADAPTER
- Input: 100-240 V – 50/60 Hz
- Output: 5 V – 1000mA
OPTIONAL EXTERNAL BATTERY: The system can run off a USB 10000mAh capacity battery such as those found on WalMart.com and Amazon.com. Such a battery is currently available online at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083QG5XND/
Additionally, a USB power connector cable (0.25m USB 2.0 A Type Male to DC 5.5 x 2.1mm DC 5V Power Plug Connector Cable USB to 5V Power Charging Adapter) is also needed. Such a cable is currently available online at… https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q5PHHFK/
PROTECTION CLASS II
- Power consumption during use: 2.5 W/h Power consumption in standby: 0.5 W/h
IMPORTANT: When the product is used in the electrical fast transient (EFT) interference environment, the phenomenon of automatic counting will occur. This is normal and does not affect the use of the other functions and the better experience of the product.
3 | WARNINGS
SEIZURES
Always play in a well-lit room and have at least a 15-minute break for every hour you are playing. Stop playing immediately if you experience dizziness, nausea, fatigue, or headaches. Some people may experience epileptic seizures when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or visual patterns. Please consult your physician if you or a family member suffers from epilepsy before using Skillz Machine. immediately stop viewing and consult a doctor if you experience any of the symptoms. These seizures may have a variety of symptoms including lightheadedness, altered vision, I or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms. Children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience seizures.
RISK OF FIRE, INJURY, OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK
SkillzMachine is an electronic device and therefore has to be handled with extreme care. Never touch the electrical plug with a hockey stick. Modern hockey sticks are made from carbon, a highly conductive material.
ADULT ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
Only adults are to assemble SkillzMachine.
ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED
Adults are to supervise the use of SkillzMachine by children.
NEVER STEP ON SKILLZMACHINE
The board could break and/or you could fall.
NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE
Danger of strangulation with the power cord is a threat for young children.
SAFETY WARNING FOR THE POWER ADAPTER
WARNING: The device may get warm during use
- Use the power adapter only with this SkillzMachine
- In case there is a defect, use only the original spare parts
- Always separate the power adapter from the electrical outlet first before you separate the adapter from SkillzMachine
- Only use the power adapter indoors in dry conditions. Keep the adapter away from liquids, and moisture
- In case of damage to the chasing of the power adapter or the power cord, do not use the adapter
- Disconnect the power adapter from the electrical supply if it is not going to be used for a long duration
- Never short-circuit the output cable
- The output cable of the power adapter cannot be changed. If the output cable is damaged, do not use the power adapter again
- Do not cover the power adapter. Ensure sufficient airflow to prevent the power adapter from overheating
- The power adapter has to be close to SkillzMachine and should be easily accessible
- Do not place SkillzMachine too close to electric engines or microwaves
4 | INTENDED USE
Please read the following information very carefully:
- SkillzMachine is a field hockey / indoor hockey / ice hockey training device to improve close-control skills. Never step on SkillzMachine
- Do not use SkillzMachine as a platform from which to practice hitting the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK. A person struck by either a SkillzPUCK or SkillzBALL can be seriously injured or killed. Damage to the SkillzMachine board, SkillzBALL, SkillzTURF, SkillzPUCK and/or other property may also occur
- Never use SkillzBALL, SkillzTURF, or SkillzPUCK for other activities. Only use the SkillzPUCK, SkillzBALL, and SkillzTURF as intended with SkillzMachine
- SkillzMachine is only meant for private use and may not be used commercially
- SkillzMachine may not be used by children under three years of age
- SkillzMachine may only be used under adult supervision
- SkillzMachine is not intended to be used by persons or children with limited physical, sensory, or mental capabilities or missing experience and/or knowledge except when they are supervised by a person responsible for their safety
- The packaging materials are not toys! Please make sure you remove all packaging material and that you store or dispose of it in a way children cannot reach it
Preventing damages:
- Protect SkillzMachine from moisture and fluids. Do not place containers holding liquid near of above SkillzMachine
- Play the SkillzBALL and SkillzPUCK so that they do not pose a threat to people or property close to SkillzMachine
5 | ASSEMBLY
- Look for a suitable area with sufficient space to ensure freedom of movement
- Ensure that the area is free of breakable items
- Unfold SkillzMachine and interlock the two sides of SkillzMachine like puzzle pieces. Ensure a smooth connection to guarantee an optimal training experience
- Connect the power adapter to an electrical outlet and connect the output cord from the power adapter to the POWER IN port of the scoreboard
- Press button A (see diagram below) to select the desired skill challenge (once for the first game, twice for the second game, and so on)
6 | OPERATIONS
The scoreboard is SkillzMachine’s operations center. It might be referred to as the motherboard. There you will find an audio-out port (inserting a standard headphone jack provides silent operation), a power port, the skill challenge selection button, a reset button, and ventilation areas. Of course, you will also find the three-digit TIME and SCORE displays.
7 | SKILL CHALLENGES / GAME MODES
There are 18 different skill challenges (games) built into SkillzMachine’s control center. Although we have given them “fancy” names such as Exxtreme Speed and Hot Spots Pro, the skill challenge selected can only be displayed as a number on the scoreboard. In the example on the right, the player has selected game number 3.
Although there are 18 different skills challenges, and ways to play two of the two-player challenges that could reasonably raise that total to 20, for the purpose of this manual, we have games listed below in four logical groupings. All of the games field hockey / indoor hockey can be played with or without the SkillzTURF overlay on the SkillzMachine board.
A | Danger Zone and Danger Zone Pro
In these challenges, the athlete moves the SkillzBALL around the SkillzMachine board for 60 seconds without touching any of the presented lights.
In Danger Zone, two blue lights are presented — one on each side (left and right) of the board. The athlete moves the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK in an oval pattern around the lights. To enhance the activity, change directions so that both clockwise and counterclockwise actions are practiced. After success with the oval pattern, try weaving through and around the lights in a figure-8.
Four blue lights are presented in Danger Zone Pro, creating an expanded number of opportunities for the athlete to master. Go around all for lights in a clockwise and counterclockwise pattern. After success reached, there are multiple ways to handle the ball around and between the lights. Try using figure-8 patterns that go side-to-side, front-to-back, and on a diagonal. Don’t forget to complete these patterns in different directions.
B | Exxtreme Speed, Exxtreme Speed Pro, and Exxtreme Speed Pick Two
In these challenges, the athlete moves the SkillzPUCK or SkillzBALL over the lights presented on the SkillzMachine board. Moving the ball/puck over a light scores points while the time allowed dwindles down to zero.
In Exxtreme Speed, a single light is presented on the left side of the board. The athlete earns points by moving the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK back and forth over the light. This back-and-forth motion should be repeated as quickly as possible as the time allotted for this challenge is only 30 seconds.
In Exxtreme Speed Pro, two lights are presented — one on each side of the board. The athlete earns points by reaching each light with the SkillzPUCK or SkillzBALL. No points are awarded if the lights are reached out of sequence, this ensures that the athlete is using a full range of motion to the left and to the right. This back-and-forth motion should be repeated as quickly as possible as the time allotted for this challenge is 60 seconds.
Exxtreme Speed Pick Two is very unique because it allows the athlete to pick the two lights out that they want to work between. They can pick two lights that are relatively close together, two lights that are far apart, two lights that are close to where the athlete is standing, two lights that require that the athlete reaches to the far side of the board, two lights that require a left-to-right action, or two lights that require moving the ball forward and backward. This is a 60-second skillz challenge.
C | Hot Spots, Hot Spots Pro, MineField, and MineField Pro
In these 60-second challenges, the athlete tries to move the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK over a light before it disappears from the SkillzMachine board. As these games involve disappearing lights, it is impossible to properly illustrate (please visit our video page). In Hot Spots and Hot Spots Pro, the challenge is straightforward — move the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK to the light. In MineField and MineField Pro, the same task has to be accomplished (getting to the light before it disappears) but the athlete has to do that while avoiding the eight “bad” lights (a.k.a. the mines). Regardless of whether or not the target light is reached before it disappears, in MineField and MineField Pro, a point will be deducted from the total each time the SkillzBALL or SkillzPUCK passes over a mine.
D | Two-Player Games (Exxtreme Speed, Hot Spots, and Hot Spots Pro)
In these challenges, two athletes take on each other in head-to-head competitions to see which athlete can achieve the highest score. One athlete competes within the confines of the left side of the board (using blue lights) while the other uses the right side of the board (using red lights). It is perfectly fine for the athletes to stand next to each other, however, due to the positioning of the lights it is best if the athletes begin as shown in the diagram.
Exxtreme Speed is described above in section B. Hot Spots and Hot Spots Pro are described in section C.
NOTE: The halves of the board do not change colors to blue and red. That is done here for illustration purposes only
8 | UNDERSTANDING THE SCOREBOARD
After a skills challenge is completed, the scoreboard will momentarily display the final score. The letters SC will appear in the TIME box. The ‘SC’ stands for Score. The athlete’s score will appear in the SCORE box.
After the score for the then-current attempt is presented, the highest score that any athlete using the SkillzMachine is displayed. The letter H will appear in the TIME box followed by the number of the game that was played. The ‘H’ stands for High Score and the highest score that any athlete ever achieved in this game will appear in the SCORE box.
9 | RESETTING HIGH SCORES
Even when powered off, SkillzMachine “remembers” the high score for each single-player skills challenge for a very, very long time. This provides an easy way for owners of a single-use Skillz Machine to see their best attempt. For SkillzMachines that are used by more than one player, for example in a fitness center, it tells everyone the best score that was achieved by a previous player. Owners might want to clear away the system’s memory (perhaps on an annual basis in preparation for a new season). To clear all high scores:
- Power on
- Wait until SkillzMachine enters the first skills challenge (“GA 01”)
- Press and hold the reset button for 8 seconds
Then the scoreboard will flash and all high scores will be cleared.
The three listed steps need to be completed within 30 seconds after the power on and entering the first skills challenge.
10| AFTER USE
Turn off SkillzMachine after each use. Unplug the power adapter from the electrical outlet. Let SkillzMachine cool down after each use.
11 | TRANSPORT
Transport SkillzMachine neatly and safely packed. Do not expose to excessive heat, e.g., in a car on a hot day, or under any pressure during transport, e.g., in the trunk of a car under heavy objects or in a warped/twisted position.
12 | WARRANTY INFORMATION
You have a warranty claim of two years on newly purchased products. The warranty period begins with the delivery of the product. For proof, please keep the proof of purchase (invoice) for the duration of the warranty period. The invoice is essential for the processing of a complaint.
What is covered by the warranty? In accordance with legal requirements, the warranty on SkillzMachine covers all material and manufacturing defects that exist at the time of delivery.
IMPORTANT: If you have any complaints, contact your dealer immediately!
The warranty is not transferable
The warranty is void if:
- SkillzMachine is not used as intended
- When parts are mounted on SkillzMachine or parts have been used that are not original parts except those parts that are released by the manufacturer designed to be mounted on SkillzMachine
- Someone used SkillzMachine improperly or deliberately damaged the product
- Someone else is looking after and maintaining SkillzMachine differently than specified herein
The warranty and any general product liability expire when:
- The operating instructions are not followed
- Repairs and maintenance are made improperly
- Technical changes/modifications and/or additions are made to Skillz Machine
- Damage is caused by misuse, overload, or overuse
13 | REPAIR/MAINTENANCE AND SPARE PARTS
Do not make any unauthorized repairs to SkillzMachine. In case of a defect, please contact your dealer. Only purchase replacement parts from your dealer.
14 | DISPOSAL
Dispose of SkillzMachine and all related components through a licensed waste disposal facility or through your municipal disposal facility. Observe the currently applicable regulations. If in doubt, find out about your environmentally friendly disposal process at your municipal disposal facility. Electrical appliances such as SkillzMachine do not belong in household waste. The packaging is new material and is thus reusable and can be returned to the raw materials cycle.
15a | ACCESSORIES (field hockey)
- SkillzBALL: An extra SkillzBALL is available
- SkillzBAG: A storage/carry bag designed for SkillzMachine is available for $49.99
- SkillzBAR: Available so that athletes can practice 3-D skills when the SkillzTURF overlay is in place, SkillzBAR provides the athlete a target to clear, and should the attempt to lift the SkillzBALL fails, SkillzBAR is designed to allow the SkillzBALL to pass underneath. This design enables the athlete to maintain the flow of their movements until their next 3-D attempt. SkillzBAR also allows the athlete to work on “release & capture” ball control skills
- BOOK: The book SKILLZMACHINE TRAINING FOR FIELD HOCKEY by Cris Maloney helps athletes get the most out of SkillzMachine. It is available on Amazon (https://smile.amazon.com/Skillz-Machine-Training-Field-Hockey/dp/B0BF2ZX1WH)
15b | ACCESSORIES (ice hockey)
- SkillzBAG: A storage/carry bag designed for SkillzMachine is available for $49.99
- SkillzBAR: SkillzBAR also allows the athlete to work on “release & capture” puck control skills. The athlete can practice lifting their stick when dribbling. Th design of SkillzBAR enables the athlete to maintain the flow of the puck movement
- BOOK: The book SKILLZMACHINE TRAINING FOR ICE HOCKEY by Cris Maloney helps athletes get the most out of Skillz Machine. It is available on Amazon (https://smile.amazon.com/Skillz-Machine-Training-Ice-Hockey/dp/B0BF2RR89M)
EUROPEAN UNION MARKING
Declaration that Skillz Machine meets the requirements of the applicable directives of the European Union
CHECKED SAFETY CERTIFICATE
The Geprüfte Sicherheit adapter safety certificate:
Type Nr. BYX-0501000E