A footbag is a small, round bag, sometimes referred to generically as a hacky-sack. (Hacky Sack is the trademarked name of a specific type of footbag). Although the game has existed for many years (policemen are seen playing it in the movie To Catch a Thief, for example), the current western incarnation of the sport was invented in 1972 by two men from Oregon City, Oregon, Mike Marshall and John Stalberger.[1] Marshall and Stalberger later sold the rights to the Hacky Sack to Wham-O inc in 1983.
Footbag also refers to the sports that are played with a footbag. These sports are characterized by controlling the bag by using one's feet.
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The only piece of equipment necessary to play footbag is a footbag, though shoes with optimized kicking surfaces are recommended by most advanced players. There are several differences between footbags which will affect how they play, thus making different bag choices necessary for different sports.
For circle kicking, it is very common to use a crocheted footbag, which is usually filled with plastic beads. Casually, footbags are often differentiated as normal (indicating a plastic-pellet filling), or as "dirt bags" or "sand hacks" (indicating a sand filling). Sand hacks are typically considered ideal among casual, beginning, or intermediate players, who use them as a learning tool, as they are easier to control and stall than a crocheted bag filled with plastic pellets.
In the freestyle footbag discipline, a 32 panel bag is the generally accepted standard (the number of panels on commercially available bags can range from 2 to 120 panels). Most professional stitchers use some combination of Plastic Poly Pellets, BB's, steel shot, lead shot, seed bead or even tungsten shot. Bags usually weigh between 40 and 65 grams, depending on the type of filler and amount of filler used. 32 panel bags do not stall as easily as a "dirt bag" or "sand hack," but set truer from the foot, allowing for more complex tricks. Professional footbags are usually made out of the fabrics ultrasuede light, facile, or amaretta. While these bags can last a long time with proper care, they are quite fragile relative to their more common crocheted cousins.
The footbag net discipline uses a distinct bag, characterized by a harder outer surface than other footbags. These bags are not suitable for freestyle, and vice-versa.
There are also several novelty products available, including glow in the dark, chain mail, and even flame retardant bags that can be set on fire and played with. The fire footbag has been banned in South Australia.[2]
Most advanced freestylers wear Adidas Rod Laver tennis shoes, Adidas Clima Cool 1s or lowtop Reebok G-Unit G6s while playing.
The quantum shoe made by planetfootbag is the first shoe designed specifically for freestyle footbag and requires no modifications.
Several shoe modifications are common in freestyle footbag.
In order to make toe stalling easier, many players use special lacing patterns that pull apart the sides of the shoe near the toe area, creating a broad, rimmed platform. Modified lacing is augmented by cutting away the stitching that joins the row of eyelets to the toe. The area that is created by completing these modifications is called a toe box.
Shoes can be further modified for freestyle footbag by removing layers of fabric from the inside, outside, and toe surfaces.[3] These modifications are advantageous because they allow players to more accurately feel the bag on their foot.
Freestyle Footbag is a sport in which the object is to perform tricks with the bag. The ending position of the footbag on one trick becomes the starting position of the footbag on the next trick. Tricks are created by combining different components between contacts with the bag (contacts can be either stalls or kicks, though stalls are more frequent). Components can be spins, dexterities (using a leg to circle or cross the footbag's path in mid-air), or ducks (letting the footbag pass a few inches above the neck). Contacts are usually on the inside of the foot behind the opposite support leg (Clipper Stall) or on the toe, however many inventive possibilities remain and are used to create an endless list of tricks.
Freestyle moves list have been developed trying to follow the trend.[3]
Various styles have developed as the sport has become more popular. Players can choreograph routines to music, alone or in pairs, executing difficult moves in synch with the music--the result is something like a cross between rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating.[4]
There is an annual footbag world championships held each year. The current freestyle world champion is Václav Klouda, of Czech Republic.[5]
In footbag net, players (either playing individually or with a partner) volley a footbag back and forth over a five-foot-high net. This game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and volleyball. The court dimensions and layout are similar to those of badminton; the scoring is similar to the old scoring system in volleyball (you must be serving to score); and serves must be diagonal, as in tennis. Footbag net games can be played to 11 or 15 points, although the winners must win by at least two points. Rallies in footbag net look a lot like volleyball (e.g., bump, set, and spike), with players spiking from an inverted position in mid-air (over the net) and opponents often digging very fast spikes into bumps or sets. Play in footbag net is very similar to Sepak Takraw. However, in footbag net, it is an "upper-body foul" if the footbag touches any part of a player's body above the shin.
Circle kicking, also known as playing hacky sack, is the most common game played with a footbag, and it is the game people refer to when they talk about "Hacking it up." Players stand in a circle and keep the bag moving around the circle, with the goal of keeping the bag from touching the ground. A "full hack" is achieved when every person that is in the circle hits the footbag at least once with out it hitting the ground. It is generally not celebrated until that round of hacking is over. It can also be continued and once the last person has hit the bag, the players in the circle can attempt another "full hack" and if successful, the Circle can achieve a "double hack" and can continue on to "triples" and so on until the bag hits the ground. Circle kick is generally accompanied by an unwritten set of etiquette guidelines designed to keep the game fun, friendly, and open to everyone including new players. The most basic rule is to respect all other players. Some other general guidelines include picking up the footbag after you drop it or kick it away, rather than having someone else retrieve it; not serving the footbag to yourself; not spitting in the circle; and not hogging the footbag (often called jestering, or the player may be called a hack-hog) and making sure to pass the bag to players who have not gotten it recently. Most circles are very open to new players and will not ostracize anyone for being less coordinated or well practiced than the rest. Some circles have an unwritten rule that there is no apologizing when a person drops the footbag. This guideline is designed to keep the new players from feeling as if it is their fault that the game is slow, and it keeps the experienced players from having to constantly reassure the new players that it is not their fault, which can get tedious. Also when and if the "Kicking Circle" gets large to the point that it becomes difficult to get the footbag to the opposite side of the circle (usually around 10 or more players) it is common for a player to give up their place on the outside and move to the center of the circle (Usually a more experienced player will take this position) when this happens the center player is most often referred to as the "Nipple".
Variations on circle kicking are numerous and spontaneously created.
Buce is a game in which players in a team must juggle the footbag across a field to the opponent's half and score a goal, by kicking the footbag into a small, cylindrical container, usually a bin or pot plant.[6] The sport was invented in Australia in 2007 [7] and is played there with two annual national competitions.
Slaps is a game in which players must keep the hack up for a chosen number of kicks (charges) and slap the hack at someone in the circle when that many kicks has been reached. If a player is hit by this slapped hack then he/she is out of the game. However if the player who has been hit kicks the hack after being hit, or if any other player kicks it, they have saved themself from the out and may attempt another "kill". Circles may decide for people to have a certain number of lives before being kicked out of the game but it is generally one. Instead of slapping the hack, a variation calls for the player to kick it the other players once the charge is reached. This variation is commonly known as "Kill."
Stripes is a game in which players have hack normally but if a member of the circle kicks at the hack and misses, "whiffs", the other players are allowed to hit him/her until he/she picks the hack up off the ground. Similarly if the person self serves everyone in the circle gets to punch him/her. The same applies to catching the hack or using one's hands. Also known as "Red Dot."
Both games can be played at the same time, i.e playing slaps with stripes and giving "Red Dots" or "Stripes" for the same reasons, but using an out system.
Numbers is a game in which players form a circle and the person who starts kicks the hack once. Then the second person kicks it twice and so on and so forth. If the hack touches the ground before the player achieves his/her number the player gets one chance to start where he/she left off. If the player does not achieve the his/her number he/she is out.
Kick Back is a game at which you can kick the footbag against the backstop of a handball court, alone or with others. Needs a very firm footbag to bounce back. You can keep a simple score or not.
The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized footbag consecutives world records since the 1980s. There are several categories of records, all variants of the "consecutives" discipline. The current records are listed below.
There is also an unofficial records list for consecutive individual freestyle moves.
Hacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of footbag.
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The name "hacky sack" came from the 1965 inventors of the Footbag, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall.[1] Although Marshall suffered a fatal heart attack in 1965, Stalberger continued the business.[1] At a later date, Stalberger sold the title to Wham-O. The name Hacky Sack has become a genericized trademark, and can refer to either the footbag or a footbag game. The classic hacky sack circle consists of two or more players that keep the footbag off the ground without using their hands. Some common tricks include stalls, bag daggers, lifts, loops, ham spalts, and milk tosses. The idea of the game is similar to traditional Asian games of kicking the shuttlecock, known as Jianzi and Chapteh. In Korea it is called Jae gi cha gi. The game is also similar to some South East Asian games, such as Sepak Takraw and Sipa. The same principle is applied in soccer playing countries with footballs.
One recent variation of hacky sack is On the Head. On the Head involves a playing style similar to that of hacky sack, with a circle of two or more players juggling an object (generally a football) without the use of hands or elbows. The number of "heads" (where the ball is juggled by a player's head) is counted, with the aim being to reach the highest possible number of collective "heads". Heads are not required to be consecutive. Once the ball touches the ground or a player's hand, the count is reset. Depending on the rules being used, a player being hit in the face may count as two "heads" (sometimes referred to as "On the Face").
On the Head was originally developed by the Australian university student group Student Life in 2008.
Hacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of footbag. The name "hacky sack" came from the inventors of the footbag, Marc Vuolo, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall from their home town, Hackensack, New Jersey.[1] Although Marshall suffered a fatal heart attack in 1975, Stalberger continued the business.[1] At a later date, Stalberger sold the title to Wham-O. The name Hacky Sack has become a genericized trademark, and can refer to either the footbag or a footbag game. The classic hacky sack circle consists of two or more players that keep the footbag off the ground without using their hands. Some common tricks include, stalls, bag daggers, lifts, loops, ham spalts, and milk tossess.
The idea of the game is similar to traditional Asian games of kicking the shuttlecock, known as Jianzi and Chapteh. In Korea it is called Jae gi cha gi. The game is also similar to some South East Asian games, such as Sepak Takraw and Sipa.
Wham-O maintains the validity of its trademark through not only keeping the registration updated at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office but through reporting infringing importers to U.S. Customs, and filing trademark infringement actions in Federal Court.
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