Footbag

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  The Language of MovementMarch 29, 2023

Game Mechanics

Footbag is an international sport that involves keeping a bag from touching the ground without the use of arms or hands, with the feet being the primary surface. The period of time that a player keeps the bag off the ground is called a “string”. Each time the bag touches the player’s body, it is called a “contact”. Each unique action the body takes between each contact is called an “ADD”, which stands for Additional Degree of Difficulty. These can range in a number of ways.

An ADD could be when a leg moves around the bag, called a “dexterity”. It could be when the body moves in relation to the bag, such as spinning beside or ducking under the bag, or setting up with the intended catching leg behind the support leg, called “crossbody”. The ways which we physically contact the bag, kicking or delaying, also count as ADDs. Eg. A toe delay would be a 1 ADD contact. An “Around the World”, which involves moving the setting leg around the footbag for a dexterity followed by a toe delay on the same foot, would be a 2 ADD contact. A “Double Around the World” would be a 3 ADD contact, 1 for each of the dexterities and 1 for the delay.

So, each “String” is comprised of a series of “Contacts”, with each contact having varying Additional Degrees of Difficulty. The goal is to progressively work towards creating higher quality and more diverse contacts to form unique and challenging strings.

The sheer volume of possibilities of these combinations make it nearly impossible for anyone to train all of them, so each player’s exploration through the system of footbag can take a different path.  Just like other forms of dance, when multiple freestyle players join a circle, each player’s style is shown to be distinct from each other based on the path they have taken.

History and Evolution

Footbag has evolved drastically since its inception in the early 1970s, and continues to evolve to this day.  Starting in its early days of kicking a bag cooperatively with others in a circle, it has transformed into something altogether new, and is a highly competitive sport.  The format of play is reminiscent of the b-boy circle, where each has their time to shine in the center of the circle before passing to the next player, usually caused by the bag touching the ground.

The practice of casual footbag circles disappeared in the early 2000s with the advent of the smartphone – triggering a cultural shift in the usage of idle time.  The majority who continue to practice footbag are those who see it as a sport and a way to challenge themselves and other footbag players.  

There have been many games from a variety of cultures that involve using your feet to stop an object from touching the ground.  Chinlone from Myanmar, Sepak Takraw from Malaysia, and Jianzi from China are a few examples.  Footbag is the most recent addition to this group of games.

At its heart, freestyle footbag is an expression of our capacity to move our bodies with control in time and space.  This expression can be just as valuable to the beginner and the advanced, because both players are exploring their capacity for movement.

Resources

http://www.footbagworldwide.com/ – A new online resource for the sport of footbag created in 2022! Here you can find information on freestyle, net, and kicking games with rules and examples. There are also resources for where to buy shoes and footbags if just getting started with the game.

http://www.footbag.org/ – The worldwide home of the sport of footbag, sanctioned by the IFPA ( International Footbag Players Association )

• Understanding the Mechanics of Freestyle Footbag: http://www.footbag.org/freestyle/
• Find a Footbag Club Near You:  http://www.footbag.org/clubs/index
• IFPA: http://www.footbag.org/ifpa/

http://modified.in/footbag/ – The primary Forums for the sport of footbag.  There is a lot of history here.  Browse back through the pages of the Videos forum for video postings and their initial reactions.  Write and maintain your own Footblog to update progress and receive feedback from other players.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/footbag/ – The current social heartbeat of the sport of footbag.  The Modified forums carry a lot of history, but much of the modern content is posted through this group.

https://www.reddit.com/r/footbag/ – A good place for new players to post progress content.

YouTube Footbag Channels:

• IFPA – The official YouTube channel for the International Footbag Players Association. Footbag World Championship competition footage is a highlight of this channel, as well as the more recent Online Shred Off competitions.
• PassBack – An excellent modern footbag channel with regular content which can help to guide new players with information on everything from what type of footbag to play with to in-depth shoe reviews to explanations of freestyle concepts.
• Jim Penske – Outstanding regular content of freestyle at the highest level courtesy of Jim Penske and Lon Smith ( both of which also were in the Worlds Circle Finals in the above video ). The depth and complexity of the strings are world class, and worthy of replay.
• Anz Trikz – An archive of freestyle tutorials courtesy of Anssi “The Accelerator” Sundberg, from basic kicks and stalls to dexterities and strings. The footage is 13 years old, but still an excellent resource from one of the world’s best to help build your foundations.