Reading for "The Ball Game"

From the time of the Olmecs, who flourished in Mexico about 3,000 years ago, a ritual ball game was played by all the peoples of Mexico and Central America. It was one of the most striking aspects of pre-Hispanic culture, and the ruins of almost every ancient city include a walled court that was used for this sacred game. Called pok-a-tok by the Maya and ullamalitzli by the Aztecs, the game held religious as well as secular significance for players and spectators. It was both a competitive contest and a ritual ceremony.

It is thought that the game may have been a re-enactment of an ancient creation myth. The ball might have symbolised the sun as it moved from the east to the west across the sky. According to this belief, the game, if played correctly, would cause the sun to shine, the rain to come at the right time and the crops to be abundant.

The game is no longer played, and its rules were never written down, so what is known about this sport is based on ruins, drawings and first-hand accounts by early visitors to the region. Apparently, the players were divided into two teams, which each fought for possession of the ball. These teams competed on a rectangular stone court, which averaged 40 by 10 metres in size, although some may have been as large as a modern football field. On each side of this court were two long sloping walls. The object of the game was to drive the ball through rings that were positioned on these walls. The ball was solid rubber, probably a little larger than a modern basketball. The rings were almost identical in diameter to the balls, which must have made it extremely difficult to score. It seems that the first team to score won.

The players were not allowed to hit the ball with their hands or feet. They could use only their knees, hips and elbows. The ball could not touch the ground. Ballplayers used cotton pads and thick leather clothing to protect themselves from the ball, which must have weighed several kilograms. Evidently, players were often injured, despite these protective measures.

The consequences of winning or losing the game are not clear. It’s possible that spectators placed bets on the outcome of the game and may have had to give up all their clothing and jewellery to the winner. The losers may even have been decapitated and sacrificed.

The sport was played by all major cultures of Mesoamerica. The Olmecs, the Maya, the Zapotecs, the Toltecs and the Aztecs participated in the game as well as in the rituals that were associated with it. In Mexico alone, well over 600 stone ball courts have been found. And as far north as the American Southwest, the remains of rubber balls have been recovered from prehistoric sites.