Sports History-Meso America

The ancient Maya ballgame called pitz was part of Maya political, religious, and social life. Played with a rubber ball ranging in size from that of a softball to a soccer ball, players would attempt to bounce the ball without using their hands through stone hoops attached to the sides of the ball court. By far, the most popular of all Mayan sports was the Mayan ball game which was played in the Mesoamerican religion from about 1,400 BC. The game had various variations over different places and rules also varied to some extent. The common form of this game consisted of players striking the ball with their hips. In some other variations, they were also allowed the use of forearms, rackets, or bats. Solid rubber was the material of the ball and it had a weight of about 4 kg. A lot of these ball games were accompanied with grand events which sometimes even included the ritual of human sacrifice. Heavy betting was also involved in the game but it was also played as a simple recreation game by children and even women.