There’s something beautifully simple about a hacky sack.
No batteries. No screen. No complicated setup. Just a little footbag, a few friends and one challenge: keep it off the ground.
If you grew up in the ’80s or ’90s, there’s a good chance you remember seeing hacky sacks at parks, concerts, college campuses and festivals. Now a new generation is discovering them all over again.
And honestly, we get it.
Hacky sack is inexpensive, portable, surprisingly addictive and just as much fun by yourself as it is with a circle of friends.
If you’ve never played before, this guide will teach you how to play hacky sack, the basic rules, the easiest kicks to learn and a few simple tricks to work toward.
What Is a Hacky Sack?
A hacky sack is a small, soft footbag that you kick and control with your feet, legs and other parts of your body while trying to keep it from touching the ground.
The sport itself is generally known as footbag. Hacky Sack® began as a brand name and is a trademark of Wham-O, although “hacky sack” became the name most people use when talking about casual footbag play.
Whatever you call it, the basic idea couldn't be simpler.
Keep the bag in the air.
That's it.
You can practice alone, play with one other person or get an entire circle going.
How Do You Play Hacky Sack?
For a beginner, start by forgetting about tricks.
Your first goal is control.
Hold the hacky sack around waist height and drop it toward your dominant foot. Instead of kicking it forward like a soccer ball, gently lift it straight upward.
You want a soft little pop.
Try to get the bag to come straight back up in front of you rather than flying across the yard.
At first, do one kick and catch it with your hand.
Then do two.
Then three.
Once you can consistently control the bag, stop catching it and see how many consecutive kicks you can make.
Five becomes ten. Ten becomes twenty.
That's when it starts getting addictive.
The Basic Hacky Sack Rules
Casual hacky sack isn't a game with a giant rulebook.
The main rule is simple: don't use your hands or arms.
When playing in a circle, everyone works together to keep the footbag off the ground. You're not really playing against each other. You're trying to keep the rally alive.
A classic goal is getting a “hack,” which happens when everyone in the circle gets at least one touch before the bag hits the ground.
That cooperative nature is one of the reasons hacky sack has always fit so naturally into festival, park and counterculture scenes.
Everybody gets to play.
The Inside Kick
If you're going to learn one kick first, make it the inside kick.
Let the footbag fall toward the inside of your foot. Turn your foot slightly so the inside surface is fairly flat, then gently lift the sack upward.
Don't swing hard.
Think about lifting the bag rather than kicking it.
Try practicing ten drops on your right foot and then ten on your left.
Even if one side feels much easier, practice both. You'll thank yourself later when you start playing in a circle.
The Toe Kick
The toe kick is another useful beginner move.
Drop the bag toward the top of your shoe and lift your toes slightly upward as the bag makes contact.
Again, you're trying to send it mostly straight up.
One of the biggest beginner mistakes is hitting the bag too hard. If you're constantly running after your hacky sack, you're probably kicking instead of controlling it.
Keep everything soft.
The Outside Kick
Once you're comfortable with the inside kick, start experimenting with the outside of your foot.
The outside kick becomes especially useful when the bag drifts away from the center of your body.
It can feel awkward at first. That's normal.
Start by dropping the bag yourself and learning how much movement it takes to redirect it upward.
Using Your Knees
Your knees can save a rally when the hacky sack gets too high or ends up in an awkward position.
Lift your thigh and let the bag bounce gently from the area just above your knee.
The flatter you keep your thigh, the easier it becomes to control the direction of the bag.
This is another one of those moves that looks easy after you've done it a few hundred times.
What Is a Hacky Sack Stall?
This is where things start getting really fun.
Instead of kicking the footbag back into the air, a stall means catching and temporarily balancing it on your foot.
A basic toe stall is a great first trick.
Keep the top of your foot relatively flat and let your foot drop slightly as the hacky sack lands. That little downward motion helps absorb the impact instead of making the bag bounce away.
Once you can stall the bag, an entirely different side of freestyle footbag starts opening up.
Easy Hacky Sack Tricks for Beginners
Before trying complicated freestyle combinations, get comfortable with the fundamentals.
Try alternating your left and right inside kicks.
Then practice kicking from your foot to your knee and back to your foot.
Work on a toe stall.
Try an inside stall.
And once your control improves, you'll probably encounter one of the classic beginner tricks called Around the World, where your foot circles around the falling bag before making the next contact.
Don't rush it.
Good footbag players aren't just kicking faster. They're controlling where the bag goes.
The Secret to Getting Better at Hacky Sack
Practice for a few minutes at a time.
Seriously.
You don't need an hour-long workout.
Put the footbag in your pocket or backpack and kick it around whenever you have ten minutes.
You'll gradually start recognizing where the bag is going before it gets there. Your balance improves, your weaker foot starts cooperating and movements that initially felt strange begin to happen automatically.
One tip we especially like is learning both feet from the beginning.
It's tempting to depend entirely on your dominant foot, but alternating sides will make you a much better player.
Playing Hacky Sack in a Circle
This is where hacky sack earns its reputation as one of the great social games.
Get a few people together and stand far enough apart that everyone has room to move.
Start with an easy pass toward another player's feet.
Don't blast it at them.
The idea is to give the next person a chance to make a clean touch and pass it along.
Before long, everybody starts moving, laughing, making saves and trying to keep the same rally alive.
There doesn't have to be a winner.
The circle itself is the game.
And there's something refreshingly old-school about that.
What Makes a Good Hacky Sack for Beginners?
Beginners usually want a footbag that feels comfortable, has enough weight to behave predictably and isn't overly hard or slippery.
Crochet hacky sacks have been popular for casual kicking and circle play for decades because the textured exterior feels good against the foot and the bags become more flexible as they're used.
Different types of footbags behave differently. Serious freestyle players sometimes prefer specialized multi-panel or sand-filled bags because they're designed for specific stalls and tricks.
But if you're just getting started, the best hacky sack is usually the one you'll actually carry around and play with.
Our Handmade Guatemalan Hacky Sack Footbag is made with a soft cotton crochet exterior and each one has its own unique combination of colors and patterns.
No two are exactly alike.
Throw one in your backpack, take it to the park, bring it to a festival or leave it somewhere you'll be tempted to pick it up and start kicking.
Why Hacky Sack Never Really Goes Away
Trends come and go, but hacky sack has an unusual ability to keep finding a new generation.
Maybe that's because there's almost nothing standing between you and the fun.
You don't need an account.
You don't need a charger.
You don't need Wi-Fi.
You don't need a team, a court or even another person.
All you need is a little space and a footbag.
There is also something naturally communal about standing in a circle and trying to keep one little bag moving from person to person.
Nobody has to be the best player.
Everybody just wants to keep it going.
That's a vibe we can get behind.
Hacky Sack FAQ
Is hacky sack the same thing as footbag?
Footbag is the broader name for the sport and the bag used to play it. Hacky Sack® is a Wham-O brand name that became commonly associated with footbag. In everyday conversation, you'll hear people use both terms.
Can you play hacky sack by yourself?
Absolutely. Solo practice is one of the easiest ways to improve. Count consecutive kicks, practice using both feet and start working on stalls and beginner tricks.
Can you use your hands in hacky sack?
Not while the rally is going. Casual footbag is played using your feet, legs and other legal body surfaces rather than your hands and arms.
Is hacky sack hard to learn?
The basics are easy to understand but take some practice to control. Start with one kick and a catch, then work toward several consecutive kicks. Small improvements come surprisingly quickly once you learn not to kick the bag too hard.
What's the easiest hacky sack kick?
For most beginners, the inside kick is the best place to start because the inside of your foot provides a relatively broad, controllable surface.
What is the best hacky sack for a beginner?
Look for a footbag that has a comfortable exterior, predictable weight and enough flexibility to control easily. Crochet footbags are a classic option for casual kicking and circle play.
Keep the Circle Going
Whether you remember hacky sack from thirty years ago or you're picking one up for the first time, that's part of the fun.
There isn't much to learn before you can start.
Drop it.
Kick it.
Keep it up.
Pass it to somebody else.
And when it finally hits the ground?
Pick it up and start again.
