An Ancient Ballcourt in Oaxaca Expands a Sport’s Footprint

These structures are dotted all around central Mesoamerica and forms of them exist even in regions inhabited by peoples who are not otherwise associated (linguistically, ethnically, material culture, etc) with Mesoamerica at all, like Puerto Rico.

It seems that even in ancient times, the one thing you could count on to get the party started at any local watering hole from the caribbean to Acapulco (with the notable apparent exception of Teotihuacán) was a cry of "GÓL!!!!"

On a related note, the Mesoamericans seemed to have great technology by 1000-500 BC. About 3 years back, I was on the nearby site of Monte Albán. It is an incredible place. It's humbling to know that around 400 BC, Zapotecs could engineer a city by flattening out an entire mountaintop.

I have visited the ball courts at Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Palenque. Those stone rings are so high it would have been impossible to put the ball through the hole with only one's feet. I couldn't even toss my shoe through the ring using my hands.

I suspect there was a thick layer of earth to raise the level of the field, which would have put the players on a closer level to the stone rings.

I have seen meso American ball courts as far north as 10 miles or so south of Phoenix. ??? It's called Ulama and it's still played in the area around Mazatlan, Mexico. There is even a league.