A common sight at my school growing up was groups of young men and women standing in a circle kicking around a hacky sack. What is a hacky sack?

A hacky sack, also known as a footbag, is a small, round bag typically filled with sand or plastic pellets. The footbag is kicked into the air as part of a  game in which the members see how long they can keep the footbag in the air.

Can hacky sack help with your football skills?

Footbags are great for foot juggling and to practice foot-eye coordination and dexterity. However, it doesn’t necessarily translate over to improving your football keepy-uppy skills.

Juggling a football ball can translate to a player’s on-field performance, while footbag juggling may not. Footbags are very different from footballs. Unlike a football, hacky sacks do not bounce. Their feel is very distinct and very much unlike in a football.

A person who masters hacky sack juggling may struggle to translate that over to football keepy uppies. However, a footballer capable of doing keepy uppies should be able to juggle a hacky sack. Why would a hacky sack juggler struggle to perform keepy uppies? The texture and material of the footbag mean a person must put more force and power into their touches.

A footbag is good for practice at home in small spaces indoors. In addition, the footbag doesn’t bounce which allows you to collect it quickly if it gets away. Practicing your juggling with a hacky sack can improve your foot control, coordination, speed, and balance. Yet, a person who practices hacky sack exclusively is unlikely to translate that skill over to playing football or performing keepy uppies.

In the end, footballers should practice their keepy uppies to learn to properly juggle a football. A footbag can help with practice if you are at home or don’t have a football available. It may also improve your footwork and dexterity.