Footbag

History

John Stalberger, a texan vast strapping man having passed sporting, is in vacancy in 1972 when it meets Mike Marshall with a local festival of Oregon City in Oregon. Marshall and Stalberger, this last looking after a wound with a knee, become very good friends and start to take pleasure with a hobby that Marshall affectionnait already. With a broad bean bag, both are put at botter, to strike the object of their feet each one their turn in vain attempts to keep it in the air. Stalberger realizes that this small hobby pain-killer, as odd as it can appear, proves to be an excellent therapy for its wounded knee and the small hobby-exercise quickly becomes an obsession for the two friends. When one of both wants to play, he says to the other: " Let' S go hack the sack! " (Free translation: " Let us go botter the bag! "). Thus celebrates it brand name Hacky Sack® had been born.

Stalberger and Marshall are then put to make the experiment of various forms and dimensions as for the object with botter. The original designs consist of old denim filled with broad beans or rices and their forms were connected much with a disc. Whereas the fruit of their imagination is on the point of making its entry on the American market of the leisures, Marshall is reached of an heart attack and dies in its sleep in 1975 at the 28 years age. With a renewed inspiration, Stalberger continues the search to make of their dream a reality.

He discovers that while insisting on the balanced use on the two sides of the body to control the footbag, and by restricting the contact points with the feet and the knees, the play can be a tool for physical education or athletic. At the same time he realizes that a spherical form improves quality of the play and allows better characteristics as for the angles of vol.

With the growing encouragements of local merchants, of friends and athletes, the new model of footbag of Stalberger presents other changes. This time the contents of the bag consist of plastic balls, more durable, giving to the footbag a better reaction during the play and while making this one more fluid.

In 1978, in continuity with the experiments which it makes with its sport, Stalberger invents the really competitive version of the play known under the name of footbag with the net. With this play, it sets up the base on which the tournaments were going to be born and to develop. Its sport takes its take-off then.

Sporting forms

Footbag Freestyle

It is the artistic test of the footbag, and most practiced except competition. Halfway between the Juggling in Football, the Dance and the Martial art, it is a question of carrying out figures while combining technical and fluidity.

The technique is acquired through repetition of the movement, and fluidity, not to say the grace, depends on the personal report/ratio to the music and the creativity of the player. All this gives to each one its own style. The style is neither good nor bad, it reflects the personality of the player quite simply. The freestyle footbag is generally played between several people who form a circle. They try to keep the ball “in life”, i.e. it not to make fall, more the possible for a long time using Trick S (or Figure S) and of Passe S. Each figure with a name as in any discipline concerned with the Freestyle. All the tricks carry in made artistic names such as “flying clipper, squeeze, paradox mirage, symposium whirl, etc”.

There exists in freestyle a practice sport-leisure which especially consists in doing without the ball between people the same circle, without however using deadened and all the figures which it makes it possible to carry out. The practice sport of freestyle requires a physical engagement definitely more pronounced, the rate/rhythm of play strongly increases, he asks for more and more control and details.

In competition the players present themselves in front of a panel of judges, with a music and a choreography which they carry out. For shématiser, the candidates see themselves allotting, just like with the figure skating, of the artistic and technical notes. There exists also a version " team" (to two) of freestyle, this one is visually close to will capoera. It is the subject also of a test in competition.

There exists 3 types of competition in Footbag Freestyle:

the " Routine" : two minutes passage in music (chosen by the candidate) in front of 5 judges who each one gives an artistic note and a technical note. The notes go from 0 to 6, best being 6. The judges can give that only once the same note, it is thus impossible to put 2 player at equality.
the " 30 second Shred" : a 30 seconds passage when only the technique counts, the music is the same one for all the candidates.
the " big one" and " sick 3" : the " trick" (figure) most technical or the best sequence of the three tricks hardest.

Footbag Net

Footbag Net is played only with the feet. The Net can be played 1 against 1 or 2 against 2. To 1 against 1, there are 2 keys of ball by side and to 2 against 2, there are 3 keys of ball by side alternated between the 2 players.

The service is done while launching the ball with the hand before striking it with the foot towards the square of diagonally opposed service, where the receiver is held. When the service is lost then begun again, it is the second player who takes the service, and so on. The service turns when the team which is useful loses the exchange. When the score is of 0 or even, the waiter is on the right, and thus on the left when the score is odd.

Only the team which is useful can mark points. An exchange is gained when the ball touches the ground in the opposing side, if it left the ground or if the number of keys of ball were exceeded (by player or team). If the team which was useful gains the exchange, there is not. If it is the team which received, it gains the service (and thus the possibility of marking points).

A match is played in one or more sets with the choice of the players or the organizers of tournament. A set is played in 11 or 15 points according to the same criteria. The change on side is carried out when that one of the teams reached: 6 if set in 11 points and 8 if set in 15 points.

Others

The AFF (French Association of Footbag) takes into account for its competitions only freestyle and the Net, the other disciplines are regarded as leisures than like sports.

Golf: the footbag Golf is a sport distracting and accessible to everyone. The rules are the same ones as with the golf except that the foot replaces the club. One collects where it arrived, to repair it towards the hole. This sport implies a label and a courtesy also similar to the golf. The lack of respect for the vegetation of the golf, smoke génante of a cigarette or then nonthe respect of the concentration of a player imply penelities. The footbag Golf is as competitive as the other disciplines of the footbag, but it is easiest to learn because the players do not have to connect several blows consecutively.

Consecutive: it is practiced with one or more players, the goal being to keep the ball in the air while using that the feet and the knees. The footbag consecutive can be practiced several manners, one types the ball either a maximum of time in a time assigned, or the most possible once before dropping it by carelessness, or lassitude. In 1998, American, Tricia George and Gary Lault typed 132.011 times the ball, that their took 20:34 all the same.

Furnace public garden: (4 squares)

It is a play of the USA which one plays over there in all the country since years, in all the variations on the courses of schools and with any kind of balls. This play was adopted by filled with enthusiasm footbag like new discipline. It is at least the circle kicking for the advanced ones with a component of contest where all play against all. The material With a chalk end or an adhesive band one traces a square by ground (4m X 4m) which is subdivided in 4 squares of the same size (to be seen draft) which are numbered against the direction of the needle (4 meters are about 12 lengths of a foot c.à.d. a small square subdivided measurement 2m X 2m or 6 feet X 6 feet. With this method also lets itself measure fields of play for the foursquare. Rules of the game The positioning of the players at the beginning Each fields is defended by a player. The remaining participants must align themselves in file D `makes an attempt in front of the fields n° 1. The goal The goal of the play is to manage until the square n° 4 there to remain more the possible for a long time and to increase its score of points. The player who reaches initially 21 points gained. Turns The play set out again out of turns. A turn always starts with the engagement of the ball with the player of the square n°4 and finishes when the ball falls by ground or when a player makes a fault (foul). After each turn only one change of player c.à.d. is carried out that the next player waiting in the file between concerned in the square n°1 and replaces that which was disqualified. The other 3 players advance in the next square. If it is the n°2 which is disqualified it is obvious that the n°3 cannot advance of square if not only the n°1 which take again the place of the disqualified player of the square n°2. etc That which was disqualified puts behind in the file and wait until it can enter again in the play. Gold rules Cannot be modified during the play! - A player is disqualified when it drops the ball in his square or when it is him which touched the ball in the last which lands finally in its fields, in the “out” (apart from the 4 squares) or on one of the lines. - A player is disqualified when it comes into contact with another player the square of this one. There is the right to penetrate in the square of another player or gesticuler with his feet over squares of his adversaries under condition not the touch. - If a player is touched by an adversary it can inveigh a foul. As a voter decides if the foul will be recognized or not. If there are uncertainties, the decisions are made by vote of unanimity to appoint the player of the turn. - A player is disqualified when its master key is declared in unanimity like non-régulaire (c.f. in-low) - Before each engagement the waiter can propose a new rule which can be adopted by the vote. If the proposal were accepted, the new rule between immediately into force for the next turn (for example: “That to use the left leg” or to modify the starting rules or to repeal them. On the other hand the proposals should not transgress the gold rules.) Only the 4 players out of the 4 squares have the right to vote. Vote - For the votes the player on the skilful square n° 4 has 2 votes, the others 3 have only one. - If a player leaves his fields before or during the vote, it loses its voice (or a voice). - The abstentions are allowed. - If a new rule were voted, it can only be repealed by an additional vote. Starting rules These rules can be modified during the play! - The player defending the square n° 4 which is not disqualified at the end of a turn receives 1 point. - The player reaches initially 21 points gained. - A player discalifié after a tower keeps his score of points which it gained until now during all the play. - The “low” play (low play) is prohibited c.à.d. that the ball must at least reach a minimal height of the level of the knee at the time a master key is carried out. - The passes struck to the bottom (down play) as for example the smashes are also prohibited. The ball must then be played at the time of a master key so that it has a trajectory in which it flies initially towards in-high before going down again. - Engagement must be made in a fair-play way. - The player who receives the ball of engagement must at least have carried out 2 strike (to have had 2 contacts) with the ball before passing it to the next one. - A player can carry out as much strike that he wants before making the master key.

Material

Of a diameter of approximately 5 cm (not of standard), they are manufactured with small pieces of leathers or synthetic (panels) bent the ones with the others. The number of panel varies from 2 to 200, even more, but generally ranges between 8 and 50. One generally fills this plastic envelope of balls or sand, more rarely of small gravels, even of small lead balls, according to the required density.

External bonds

http://www.footbag.fr/ (French)
http://www.footbag.org/ (English)
http://www.footbag.ch/ (Switzerland)
http://www.planetfootbag.com/ (German)
http://www.footbag.cz/ (Czech)
http://www.footbag.fi/ (Finnish)
http://footbag.lap.hu (Ungaris)

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