A typical freestyle footbag.

Crocheted footbag

A footbag is a small bean bag or sand bag used as a ball in a number of sports and games. A bean bag (also beanbag) is a sealed bag containing dried Beans or PVC pellets with various applications BALL ( Biochemical Algorithms Library) is a C++ library containing common algorithms used in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics. Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively A game is a structured activity, usually undertaken for Enjoyment and sometimes also used as an Educational tool It is typically controlled by the feet, but in some sports every part of the body except the hands and arms may be used. The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. The term footbag is also the generic name for the sports which use the footbag. The main varieties are freestyle footbag, footbag net, and circle kick. Freestyle Footbag is a Footbag sport where players demonstrate their abilities by performing sequences of acrobatic tricks Footbag net is a Sport in which players kick a Footbag over a five-foot-high net Both the footbag and the sports that use it are often referred to as hacky sack or hackey sack. (Note that Hacky Sack is a registered trademark of Wham-O, Inc. but the phrase is used to describe both their product and others. Hacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of Footbag. The name "hacky sack" came from the inventors of the footbag John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. Wham-O Inc is a Toy company currently located in California, USA. )

Equipment

Shoes generally make it easier to play and some could argue that you need certain types of shoes to play; however, the only piece of equipment that is really required in order to play footbag is a footbag. These come in many styles, colors, and varieties. Some footbags have simple cotton exteriors, while others are made of 2 to 120+ panels of suede,velvet, etc. Suede is a type of Leather with a napped finish However it can also refer to a similar napped or brushed finish on many kinds of fabrics Generally the more panels a bag has the more spherical its shape, but at the same time having too many panels creates a very stiff bag and thus decreases its potential to stall. It has been argued that the best number of panels for a footbag is 32. Some are filled with sand; others, plastic pellets or metal/plastic pellets. Many footbags have designs on them, either geometric or pictorial (a happy face, for example). Some footbags are specialized for footbag net; these are generally not good for playing freestyle footbag.

The footbag is generally durable and does not need much attention except for the occasional wash. After being washed or otherwise soaked, it should be left out to dry. Sometimes,(i. e. eventually) the footbag may develop a hole which can easily be sewn or patched shut. The footbag can last a long time with proper care.

It is possible to purchase Metal Footbags made of interlocked metal rings. These are usually heavier than the standard weight (most are around 85 grams. )

Part of the appeal and popularity of footbag is due to this simplicity of equipment. A "traditional" footbag, popularly called hacky sacks, can be bought for under $5, easily stored in a pocket, and later retrieved for a quick game of freestyle. Freestyle Footbag is a Footbag sport where players demonstrate their abilities by performing sequences of acrobatic tricks Most other sports, by comparison, are not nearly as portable or affordable.

Advanced equipment is available for those who want or need it. 32-panel footbags usually contain a mixed filler. Most professional stitchers use some form of a combination of Plastic Poly Pellets, BB's, steel shot, or lead shot, glass beads or even tungsten shot. Depending on the filler and amount bags usually weigh from a range of 40-65 grams. 32 panel bags are a little more difficult to stall(compared to lower panel bags), but are often truer when set for more complex tricks; these usually range from 25-35 USD. Professional footbags are usually made of a fabric called ultrasuede light, or facile. For the song by Matthew Sweet see Son of Altered Beast. For the independent record label see The Afghan Whigs. Facile is thinner than standard footbag material so the bag is softer and easier to control. Facile footbags are typically more expensive than standard footbags as the material to produce them can cost as much as $50/yd.

Casually, footbags are often differentiated as normal [indicating a plastic-pellet filling], or as "dirt bags" or "sand hacks. " [indicating a sand or the like filling]. Sand hacks are typically considered ideal among casual, beginning, or intermediate players, who use them as a learning catalyst, as they are easier to control and stall.

Additionally, many Open-level players wear Adidas Rod Laver tennis shoes, Adidas Clima Cool 1s, Dunlop Volleys or Reebok G-Unit G6s, (lowtop) while playing. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal For the arena in Melbourne Park used for show matches in the Australian Open, see Rod Laver Arena Rodney George "Rod" Laver An athletic shoe is a Generic name for footwear designed for Sporting and physical activities, and is different in style and build than a Dress shoe Dunlop Volley is a brand of Sandshoe popular in Australia similar to the Plimsoll shoe. Reebok International Limited is a British producer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories and is currently a subsidiary of Adidas. These shoes are often modified in some way or specially laced.

The Quantum shoe made by planetfootbag is a newly introduced shoe, designed specifically for freestyle footbag and requires no modding. However, depending on the tricks being executed, playing footbag barefoot could potentially be easier as there is no extra mass to weigh the player down.

Footbag freestyle

Main article: Freestyle footbag

A popular variation of Footbag Lacing, as used by some footbag freestyle players. Freestyle Footbag is a Footbag sport where players demonstrate their abilities by performing sequences of acrobatic tricks

Freestyle Footbag is a footbag sport where players demonstrate their abilities by performing sequences of difficult moves, either in choreographed routines set to music, or in circles (as with circle kicking game). The objective in freestyle is to perform a series of tricks linked together. The ending position of the footbag on one trick becomes the starting position of the footbag on the next trick. Tricks (also referred to as "moves") are created by combining different components between contacts (stalls or kicks, usually stalls). 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.

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. Some players even modify their shoes, cutting away stitching and inner materials, to allow the toe box to open up even further.

There is an annual footbag world championships held each year. The current freestyle world champion is Vasek Klouda, of the Czech Republic. Vašek Klouda is currently (2007 the reigning Freestyle footbag champion of the world

Footbag net

Main article: Footbag net

In footbag net, players (either playing individually or with a partner) volley a footbag back and forth over a five-foot-high net. Footbag net is a Sport in which players kick a Footbag over a five-foot-high net This game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and volleyball. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles or two opposing pairs (doubles who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet 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. Sepak takraw ( Indonesian / Malay: "kick" Thai: ตะกร้อ "takraw" Lao: ກະຕໍ້ "ka-taw"

Field Hack

Field hack is a very new game involving a footbag on an American Football sized field. This game is a competitive team sport that can be described as a mix of Soccer, Football, Ultimate Frisbee, and Footbag. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Football is the word given to a number of similar Team sports all of which involve (to varying degrees kicking a Ball with the foot in an attempt to score a Ultimate (often called Ultimate Frisbee in reference to the trademarked brand name) is a non-contact Team sport played with a 175 gram Flying It requires more stamina and agility than conventional games involving a Footbag.

Circle kicking

Circle kicking is the most common game played with a footbag, and it is the game people usually refer to when they talk about "hacking. " Players stand in a circle and keep it moving around the circle, without having it touch the ground or hitting it with their hands. A "hack" is achieved when every person in the circle contributes a kick. A "hack" is generally not celebrated until that round of hacking is over; most players will agree that early celebration jynxes the chance of getting another consecutive "hack. " 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, and these rules vary from circle to circle. 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), but making sure to pass it 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. One shouldn't apologize for this when playing but this can be hard to avoid when first starting. (This informal game is also known as Hacky Sack, referring the Wham-O brand footbag. Hacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of Footbag. The name "hacky sack" came from the inventors of the footbag John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. ) Over all, the main goal of hacky sack is just to relax and have fun.

Other Variations

Main article: List of circle kick variants

There are two other common ways of playing footbag, "steals" and "kill" (also called sting, 2-hit, or 2-to-boot). Circle kick is the most common Game played with a Footbag, and it is the game people usually refer to when they talk about "hacking the sack" or " In steals, players attempt to steal, or "snake", the footbag from each other and hold on to the footbag for as long as possible without it getting stolen from them. In 2-hit kill, players kick the footbag, at least twice, or stall it on their feet, "loading it", and then kick it at another player. If it hits the player anywhere but the shoe, they are "out" and must stand outside of the circle. There are 3 ways to get back in; 1) The out player serves the footbag to a player that is in and that player plays it with their foot; 2) A player that is in serves the footbag to the player that is out and it is played; or 3) The out player gets somebody else out when the footbag leaves the circle. Other ways of playing are "instant kill", that is, the footbag is automatically "loaded"; "community", where once the footbag is loaded it stays loaded until it hits the ground; "suicides", in which if a player kicks the footbag and it hits them, but they are unable to play it after, they get out; And "Hell" or "5 star" in which a group in a circle hit the sack 4 or 5 times between two people then some one catches it and throws it at the one of the other people in the group.

Footbag World Records

The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized footbag consecutives world records since the 1980's. There are several categories of records, all variants of the "consecutives" discipline. The current records are listed below. Please report new records to info@footbag. org and contact the World Footbag Association for verification.

• Women's Doubles Footbag Consecutive
  • Constance Constable/Tricia George
  • Total Kicks: 34,543
  • Total Time: 5 hrs. 38 mins. 22 sec.
  • Date of Record: February 18, 1995
  • Official Event: Heart of Footbag Freestyle Tournament (Portland, Oregon, USA)

• Open Doubles Footbag Consecutive
  • Tricia George/Gary Lautt
  • Total Kicks: 132,011 (previously 123,456)
  • Total Time: 20 hrs. 34 mins.
  • Date of Record: March 21 & 22, 1998
  • Official Event: Chico, California, USA

• Open Doubles timed Ten Minute One Pass
  • Tricia George/Paul Vorvick
  • 1,415 kicks in ten minutes
  • Date of Record: August 5th, 2006
  • Official Event: Fun in the Park, Wilsonville, Oregon

• Women's Singles Consecutive
  • Constance Constable
  • Total Kicks: 24,713
  • Total Time: 4 hrs. 9 mins. 27 secs.
  • Date of Record: April 18, 1998
  • Official Event: California Athletic Club (Monterey, California, USA)

• Open Singles Consecutive
  • Ted Martin
  • Total Kicks: 63,326
  • Total Time: 8 hrs. 50 min. 42 sec.
  • Date of Record: June 14, 1997
  • Official Event: 1997 Midwest Regionals (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

• Open 5-Minute Timed Consecutive
  • Andy Linder
  • Total Kicks in 5 Minutes: 1019
  • Date of Record: June 7, 1996
  • Official Event: Midwest Regional Footbag Championships (Mt. Prospect, Illinois, USA)

• Women's 5-Minute Timed Consecutive
  • Ida Fogle
  • Total Kicks in 5 Minutes: 804
  • Date of Record: August 11, 1997
  • Official Event: 1997 World Footbag Championships (Portland, Oregon, USA)

• Largest Footbag Circle
  • Andy Linder and 945 of his friends
  • Total Players: 946
  • Date of Record: July 6, 2001
  • Official Event: Cornerstone Festival (Bushnell, Illinois, USA)

There is also an unofficial records list for consecutive individual freestyle moves

See also

• Bean bag
• Chinlone
• Cuca patada
• Hack Slap
• Hacky Sack
• Jianzi
• Kemari
• List of circle kick variants
• Sepak Takraw
• Sipa

External links

• Footbag WorldWide - non-profit information service for the sport of footbag