The Mayan Ballgame
How did the Mayans play this ancient game? The Mayans played the game by trying to get a ball though a goal without using their hands or feet. The ball they used was a rubber ball that weighed 8 to 15 pounds! The ball was able to bruise or even break bones of the players. Players wore some protective clothes to make it easier to hit the ball without getting hurt. They also wore the clothes to decorate themselves in the game. The court area was shaped like an “I”. The long section of the “I” is the playing area and it had the goals at each end.
The game was also a religious ritual. At the end of the game, the losing team’s captain would be decapitated as a sacrifice to the gods. The court had an area for sacrifice so it would be convenient to perform the ritual at the end of the game.