Ready to kickstart your joy?
“There is no practicing in hack, only playing”
~zPlayCoach — Administer of Play
In modern footbag circles, players often focus on "stalling" with shoes on. I chose a different path: barefoot and free. Kicking barefoot wakes up every muscle from your toes to your spine. Shoes might give you a flat surface, but they mute your natural strength and flow. And while "stalling" can be impressive, it often interrupts the beautiful, fluid movement your body craves.
Bottom line: Play should feel good — not frustrating.
When you let go of the need to "perfect" every move, you unlock the real joy of play. (Bonus: a lot of my friends who mastered stalling now prefer barefoot too. Once you feel the difference, there's no going back.) Practice makes progress. If you want to try, just grab a footbag — or better yet, make your own HACKiDO — and give it 15 minutes. No pressure. No perfection. Just play. Chances are, you'll surprise yourself — and if not in the first 15 minutes, maybe the next. (And if not then, well... you're still having more fun than sitting on the couch, right?)
Before long, your blood will be pumping, your brain will light up, and you'll realize: you’ve tapped into one of the simplest, most powerful exercises on Earth.
Three Commandments of HACKing
The Rules of Play
When I mention there are rules to HACKi, some people get surprisingly fired up. “I don’t believe in rules!” they say. “There are no rules to Hacky Sack™!”
Well... yes and no. There are some simple rules that make Play more fun, more connected, and more meaningful — especially here in the land of gravity and physical bodies. At HACKiDO, we honor three simple Commandments of Play. They make sense (trust me) — and they make the magic happen.
#1 No Hands
Once the HACKiDO is in motion, hands are off-limits. Palms? Red zone — absolutely not. Inside arms? Orange — questionable. Outside arms or back of hand? Yellow — maybe (if it's a spectacular move). If there's a violation, the circle votes unanimously on whether it counts. Democracy for the win!
#2 No Self-Serves
If the HACKiDO drops, you can pick it up — but you must serve it to someone else. Trick serves (like foot kicks back into the circle) are fair game, as long as you don't cheat by using your hand.
#3 No "Sorrys"
This one stirs the pot. It’s not about the word — it’s the vibe. Any apology energy (“oops, my bad, I should have got that”) breaks the flow. Instead, stay in the moment. Keep it positive. Own it. Play on.
Punishment for Infractions: The Legendary Bean
Break a rule? You get beaned — hit with the HACKiDO.
Stand tall: legs apart, eyes open, hands at your sides. No flinching. The point isn't pain — it's training yourself to find calm under pressure. (Real Jedi stuff.) If there’s disagreement about whether an infraction happened, the circle decides quickly and keeps the Play alive. And if you're innocent? No worries. You can explain yourself or forgive the bean. Courage is key.
School-Friendly Adjustment
When sharing HACKiDO in schools, beaning might not fly. (Thanks, overprotective world.) No problem: swap the bean for a playful scolding or a silly dance-off. The heart of the rules stays the same: ownership, laughter, and growth. A Kinder Twist: Three Strikes Rule. Some people aren’t ready for a bean. If so, they can choose to get three friendly warnings instead. After that? The bean returns — balancing the spirit of Play.
Keeping Score (Without Losing the Fun)
In HACKiDO, it’s not you vs. them — it’s us vs. gravity. If everyone touches the HACKiDO at least once, that’s called a "hack."
2 players? Each touches it twice.
3 players? Each once, plus an extra.
4 or more? Everyone touches it at least once.
Big groups (7+)? A "Savior" can jump into the middle to rescue sloppy hacks.
The real question is: How many hacks can you chain together?
One? Two? Ten? Fifty? (Hey, dream big.)
Feel the Call?
Life doesn’t have to be so serious. Kickstart your joy. Awaken your Play. Change your world. The Path of Play is waiting...