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The same sport has also been practiced with a toy called a Koosh Ball .
Similar games had been played for centuries in Asia and North America. However, modern footbag was conceived by John Stalberger and Mike Marshall in Oregon City, Oregon in 1972. They coined two terms: "hacky sack" (sometimes spelled hackey sack) which referred specifically to their product, and "footbag" which is the generic name for the game and the product. "Hacky sack" is now trademarked by Wham-O and should technically not be used to refer to the game or the bean bag. In reality, the term "hacky sack" is almost always used, and many people have no idea what a "footbag" is.
Although some argue that a certain pair of shoes is necessary, 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 thirty to sixty panels of suede. Some are filled with sand; others, 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.
Part of the appeal and popularity of footbag is due to this simplicity of equipment. A footbag can be bought for under $5, easily stored in a pocket, and later retrieved for a quick game of freestyle. Most other sports, by comparison, are not nearly as portable.
Of course, advanced equipment is available for those who want or need it. 32-panel footbags filled with sand aid stalling and more complex tricks; these can cost as much as $30. Additionally, many professional players wear tennis shoes while playing.
Footbag freestyle is a footbag sport where players demonstrate their abilities by performing sequences of difficult moves. The performance is judged for choreography, difficulty, variety, and execution.
Tricks performed while playing freestyle include the pixie, paradise pixie, and stalling. In a pixie, the player kicks the footbag up into the air, puts one leg under the other, and hits the footbag when it comes down with the foot of the leg that is under the other leg. In a paradise pixie, the same somatic positions are achieved, but the footbag must pass through the two legs before being hit by the bottom leg's foot. A stall is a stopping of the footbag on some part of the player. The footbag can then be kicked up into the air again. Stalls are usually accomplished on the top of the foot, although one can also stall a footbag on either side of the foot, the knee, the chest, or the head.
In footbag net, players (either playing for themselves, or with a partner) move a footbag back and forth across a five-foot-high net. This game combines elements of tennis, badminton, and volleyball. Specifically, the court dimensions and layout are similar to those of bandminton; the scoring is similar to 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 eleven or fifteen points, although the winners must win by at least two points.
Circle kick is the more common version of footbag, and it is the game people are referring to when they talk about "hacking the sack" (or any other variant on the term "hacky sack"). In this game, players stand in a circle, do tricks with the footbag, and keep it moving around the circle. A 'hack' is achieved when every person in the circle contributes a kick.
In one variation, commonly called peg, a number of kicks is chosen. After that many successful kicks are made, whoever catches the footbag may throw it at, or peg, another player. If a player grabs the footbag before the predetermined number of kicks, any or all of the other players get a free "peg" on him or her.
In a very similar variation, called kill, a number of kicks is chosen; for example, two-hit kill uses two hits. Players try to make two consecutive hits, after which they can hit the footbag at another player. If the footbag hits the player, he or she is "killed" and out of the game. However, if the player successfully hits the footbag, the footbag is put back into play and the player is not out.
Kill differs from peg in that in kill, players have to make (for example) two consecutive hits by themselves before they can "kill" another player; in peg, all players contribute to this number. In both games, higher numbers of hits make the game more challenging.
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