How to Play Hacky Sack

Hacky sack — properly called footbag — is a simple circle game with no winners, no losers, and one shared goal: keep the bag off the ground using anything but your hands. Here's everything a beginner needs to start playing today.

The basic rules

Casual hacky sack has almost no rules. Players stand in a circle and pass a small bean-filled bag using their feet, knees, chest, or head. Hands and arms are off-limits. The circle "wins" when every player touches the bag at least once before it drops — that's called a hack.

The five essential kicks

• Inside kick: Foot turns out, flat inside of the shoe strikes the bag. The most-used kick in the game.
• Outside kick: Foot turns in, outside of the shoe strikes the bag. Useful when the bag drifts wide.
• Toe kick: Point the toe up, laces meet the bag. Good for a controlled straight-up pop.
• Knee kick: Lift the knee and let the flat top of your thigh hit the bag when it's too high for a foot kick.
• Stall: Instead of kicking, you catch and balance the bag on your foot for a moment before passing.

Setting up a circle

A good circle has 3–6 players standing about 4–6 feet apart on flat ground. One player serves by dropping the bag from waist height and kicking it up toward another player. From there it's freeform — pass to whoever's open, keep your kicks controlled and reachable, and don't hog the bag.

Circle etiquette

• Kick up, not across — a chest-high pop is easier to receive than a bullet.
• Call "sorry" after a bad kick. Nobody keeps score.
• Spread the touches — a good hack means everyone gets one.
• If you drop it, pick it up and serve again. No penalties.

The 15-minute beginner drill

Do this alone, on flat ground, with shoes on. Five stages, roughly three minutes each. Don't move to the next stage until you hit the target — rushing is why most beginners plateau.

1. Drop and catch (no kick). Hold the bag at waist height, drop it onto the inside of your dominant foot, and let it rest there for a beat before catching it in your hand. This teaches your foot to absorb instead of bounce. Target: 10 clean catches.
2. Inside kick, hand catch. Same drop, but now lift the bag straight back to your hand with the flat inside of your foot. Keep your knee turned out and your ankle locked — the bag should rise, not shoot sideways. Target: 10 in a row on your dominant foot.
3. Alternate feet. Repeat stage 2, switching feet each rep. Your weak foot will feel useless for the first few minutes; that's normal and it fades fast. Target: 10 alternating kicks without a drop.
4. Two-touch rally. Drop the bag, kick it up, and kick it a second time before catching it. Aim each kick chest-high and directly above your standing foot so you barely have to move. Target: 10 successful two-touch sequences.
5. Open rally. Drop and keep it up as long as you can using any kick — inside, outside, or toe. Count your touches out loud. Target: a 10-kick rally.

Common fixes: If the bag flies sideways, your ankle is loose — lock it flat. If it drops in front of you, you're kicking with your toe instead of the inside arch. If you're chasing it around the yard, you're kicking too hard; a good beginner kick barely clears your waist.

Most people reach a 10-kick rally within two or three sessions. Once you're there, join a circle — reacting to other people's kicks is the fastest way to improve.

What kind of bag should you use?

For learning, a soft 8–14 panel sand-filled bag is forgiving and cheap. Once you can sustain a rally, upgrade to a 32-panel suede freestyle bag for tighter control. See our buying guide or the full review index for specific recommendations.

Frequently asked questions