First off, HackySack is the generic name for this sport (and yes, this IS a competative sport). Most people call it Hack or Hackysack, but HackySack is the actual trademark name for the first footbag marketed here in the U.S.A.    Now, with that being said, let's move on to the point of this guide.     I have been hackin' since the age of 13 (i am 24 now) so, for over a decade. I have done it all, solo for exercise, Circle hack with friends, family, and strangers, Footbag Net aka Net hack, numbers aka Consecutives with friends for a little competition, and Freestyle for my own personal expression and growth in the sport.     I have quite a few footbags in my personal collection and i figured i would share a few pointers with you on purchasing a good quality bag. If you are a beginner you will be wanting a larger footbag with good "pop" to it, so you can get your basic kicks in shape/form. Footbags with beads that have a good round shape to them like your classic Sipa Sipa crochete bag or a Multi paneled bead bag like a bag from the Hammer(tm) family or a quality, larger sand filled are great for learning basic kicks. Now, depending on what you are leaning towards for your style of the sport really matters for what footbag you buy. If you are looking for a good footbag to hang out with your friends and play in a circle or start to learn freestyle than something like an eight paneled Dirtbag(tm), Sipa Sipa(tm), Juice(tm) non-facile sand OR bead, Sandmaster(tm) etc etc will do just fine. You have to keep in mind that if you are hanging in a group and kicking a bag then that bag has to be very durable to stand up to Circle Abuse. Softer footbags made with soft synthetic suede, crushed panne and facile are meant for a delicate touch like experienced Freestyle footbaggin' and are NOT recommended for circle play (unless you are sure of your skills as a group). On that note, crushed panne and facile footbags are highly recommended if you want to go down the Freestyle path (my personal favorite) bags like Juice Dirtbag Pro(tm) facile or an Abshire(tm) a910 or a Mr. Sandbag(tm) crushed panne or a Squirt(tm)steel bb's or an Abshire mini(tm) .... even a Pandemonium's(tm) Prophecy(tm) are all great style bags to hone your delay/stall skills. Smaller, heavier, multi-paneled footbags that are made of facile or similiar, are the type of bags you want to get AFTER you get your basic stalls/delays down pat. But, with these bags you have to be a little more careful because the material is alot more delicate than your basic circle hacks IE: NO TOE PICK-UPS!!!    For net hack, or Footbag Net, this is easy, any firm tightly packed bead bag will do!! Leather or cordley (like plastic leather) are ideal for this sport because you want it to have great pop to it. A beginner should stick with a 32 panel bag like a Blizzard(tm) or a cowhide bag, and as you progress and get going, move on to a higher panel like 62 for a tad more pop to heat up the game.   Last but not least .......numbers or Consecutives, any Multi-paneled round, round, round bag should work (32 panel or higher, bead or sand) or even a nice crochete (Sipa Sipa tm).     Keep in mind i am not trying to endorse these footbags in particular.......just the style (of those bags mentioned) in general.      I hope that this guide was somewhat of a help in your decision for a footbag and happy kickin'!!!