BY : EUNICE

 What is the Mesoamerican ball game?  Where does it takes place in the ancient times?  The Ancient times  Why they played the game?  The uniform worn  The Rules Of The Game  The Type Of Ball  Winners and Losers  Picture

 It is a popular ball game around the Mesoamerica.  It is played by all the major civilizations from the Olmecs to the Aztecs.  The contests even supplied candidates for human sacrifice, for the sport could, quite literally, be a game of life or death.

IIt took place in the Mesoamerica ball court TThe court is shaped like the capital ‘I’. TThe Mesoamerica is located between the North and South America, and it includes part of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. TThe ball court was a symbol of the city’s wealth and power.

 The ancient Mesoamerican cultures played the ballgame as a way to please their gods and keep order in their world.  The ballgame is based on a creation story.

It wasn’t just for fun, exciting, dangerous sporting competition They play the game because it was based on religious beliefs.

The ball players entered the court dressed in the finest jewellery, animal skins and feathered headdresses. The uniform helped the player to protect them.

The aim of the game is to get a ball through one of the rings. They couldn’t use their hands or their feet ; they would need to use their padded elbows, knees, thighs and shoulders. The teams were either two or three players.

The Mesoamerican discovered a way to make a very bouncy ball using a native plant: the plant is a rubber (latex) tree. Rubber Tree

Winners The winners of the game were known as heroes and given a great feast. Losers The losers of the game was sometimes unusually harsh : death. The leader of the losers game will sometimes be killed.

Playing the ball game.

Click here to explore the Mesoamerican games and the website!

By : Eunice Tho