Footbag is a sports game in which participants toss a small soft ball with pellets inside it to each other while demonstrating their skill in handling it. This ball is so called -footbag. Similar games have existed in all countries for a long time and they have a lot of fans, but officially the game became a sports discipline less than 30 years ago.
Historical reference
Not uncommon to see kids kicking a bottle or tin can in the absence of a ball. Perhaps that’s where the foot ball originated. Guys came up with various devices that could replace athletic gear, including filling socks with grit. Over time, the game with a sock gained in popularity, she had certain rules and its name – Socks (translated from English – sock).
According to official data Socks appeared in the 1970s in the U.S., and its progenitors are considered to be Michael Marshall and John Stalbenger. It is socks and became the prototype of the modern game. But originally the Americans called it Hack the Sack. To fill a sock or stocking used beans and any loose materials.
In 1975 Marshall passed away, and Stalbenger continued to develop the game, which has already become a sport and was called footbag. It was he who organized the National Hacky Sack Association, which united fans of the game.
In the 80s of the 20th century footbag began to spread in Europe. It was “imported” by tourists vacationing in the States, as well as students studying at American universities and those who came to visit their parents. But the new sport has long been an amateur one, with European level competition taking place only towards the turn of the century. Today clubs and associations exist in many Western countries.
Currently, the game is an organized sport, which has its own governing body – the International Football Committee. This organization is engaged in developing the official rules and amending them, organizes international tournaments.
Benefits of the game
And footbag, and sox, provide a good load on the body and perfectly work the muscles of the lower limbs. As a result of regular play:
- Blood circulation is improved.
- Normalizes the activity of the respiratory organs.
- Develops an eye gauge, a sense of balance and coordination of movements.
- Improves mood.