How to Play Footbag: Beginner Tricks for Kids, Teens & Families
Learn footbag in 9 simple steps, from your first toss and catch to the toe pop. Each step has a short video and a goal to hit, so kids, teens and families always know what to practice next.
Footbag (many people know it by the brand name Hacky Sack®) is a simple skill toy you can learn in minutes and keep getting better at for years. Got Covelico footbags? These are the same 9 steps as the guide in your bag.
Start here: control, not speed
Begin with soft touches, bent knees and small movements. Once the footbag starts going where you want it to go, every step gets easier. Take them in order and don't move on until you hit the goal.
The 9 footbag steps
1. Know Your Footbag
Hold one and get a feel for its size, weight and texture. Covelico footbags are small, soft and slightly flat by design, which makes them easier to control.
Goal: Toss it hand to hand 20 times
2. Toss and Catch
Toss one footbag lightly into the air and catch it. Watch how it moves, drops and lands. Soft hands, eyes on the bag.
Goal: 10 catches in a row
3. The Basic Kick
Drop the footbag onto your foot and flick it gently back up to your hands. Aim for chest height, nice and soft.
Goal: 10 kick-and-catches
4. Juggling the Footbag
No more catching. Kick it up with one foot, then use the other before it lands. Drops don't count against you. Just restart.
Goal: 5 kicks in a row
5. The Inside Kick
Turn your foot slightly inward and send the bag back up with a controlled touch from the inside of your foot. Control beats power.
Goal: 5 inside kicks in a row
6. The Outside Kick
Like the inside kick, but turn your foot outward and hit the bag with the outside edge. It feels strange, then suddenly it doesn't.
Goal: 5 clean outside kicks
7. The Knee Bounce
Kick the footbag up, lift your knee and bounce it gently back into the air. Then take it back on your feet.
Goal: Kick, knee, kick: 3 times
8. The Stall
Kick the bag up and meet it with your foot as it comes down. Drop your foot as it lands so it rests there instead of bouncing away.
Goal: 3 stalls held for 2 seconds
9. The Toe Pop
Balance the footbag on your toes in a stall, then lift your foot quickly to pop it back up. This is the gateway to every big trick.
Goal: Stall, pop, catch: 3 times
Free download: The 9-Step Footbag Trick Tracker
One printable page with all 9 steps and a goal for each. Stick it on the fridge and tick them off as you go. No sign-up needed.
Join the Covelico Skills Club (free)
Get the Footbag Circle Games Pack (10 games for circles, pairs and showdowns), plus new challenges and practice tips by email.
Starting from scratch? A soft, slightly flat footbag is easier to control, catch and stall while you learn. Covelico footbags come as a set of 3 with a carry bag and the 9-step guide inside.
Get Covelico Footbags on Amazon
In Australia? Get them on Amazon.com.au
How to get better at footbag
Practice in short rounds. Try three minutes at a time, then rest. Keep your eyes on the footbag, bend your knees and focus on soft, controlled touches.
- Start with one step at a time.
- Use both feet, even if one side feels awkward.
- Practice on a flat surface with space around you.
- Try to beat your own record instead of rushing to harder tricks.
Level up: footbag challenges
Finished all 9 steps? Try these next. They mix the moves you already know and get you ready to play with other people.
The Double Kick
Drop the bag, then two kicks before you catch. If it flies off sideways, kick softer, not harder.
Goal: 5 doubles in a row
The Switch
Right foot, left foot, catch. Everyone has a “wrong” foot at this point. It stops being wrong in about three days.
Goal: Right-left-catch, 5 times straight
The Ten Club
10 kicks in a row, mixing inside kicks, outside kicks and knees. Nobody lands it first go. That's the point.
Goal: 10 kicks, no drops
Circle Ready
Grab a friend. Serve the bag to them at chest height, let them take it on the foot, and keep it alive between you.
Goal: A 6-touch rally between two players
Footbag games for kids and teens
Once the basic kicks feel easier, try simple footbag games. Stand in a circle and see how many touches the group can get before the footbag drops. For younger kids, allow one bounce. For older kids and teens, make it no hands and no bounce.
You can also play record challenges: most toe kicks, longest circle rally, best catch, or funniest save. Keep the rules simple so everyone can join in.
Ready for the circle?
Get the free Footbag Circle Games Pack: 10 games for circles, pairs and showdowns. Join the Covelico Club (free) to download it.
More screen-free skill toys to try
Footbags and juggling balls are both easy to start and fun to get better at. Start with one simple skill, practice for a few minutes, then try to beat your own record.
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