Hacky Sack

Feet-only footbag — keep a small bean-bag airborne using feet, knees and other non-arm surfaces; freestyle and net variants exist.

🌤both

What is Hacky Sack?

Hacky Sack is a footbag skill toy — a small bean-bag kept airborne using the feet, knees, chest and head (no hands, no arms). Invented by John Stalberger and Mike Marshall in Oregon in 1972 as rehabilitation for Stalberger's injured knee, and popularised through the 1980s university campuses. The International Footbag Players' Association runs World Freestyle and Footbag Net championships. Related sport Footbag Net is a competitive 2-a-side game across a 5-foot net.

Quick facts

Category

Skill Toys

Type

Individual

Players

1–6

Where played

both

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

1972, John Stalberger & Mike Marshall (Oregon USA) — patented 1979

Olympic

No

Popularity

global

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified