Most ancient societies in general had certain intriguing aspects. Probably one of the most mysterious aspects of the Olmecs and Mayans was the ball game. Even though it was a spectator sport and played for religious reasons, it was very violent. Part of the violence came from the ball. The ball was made of hard rubber, which was a source nature to Mesoamerica.
The Mayans inherited the ball game from the Olmecs. The Olmecs were the first people to cultivate the rubber tree, which hints their name " people who use rubber." From the trees extract, the Olmecs produced a ball of hard rubber which came slightly smaller than the size of an average human head, about 8 inches in diameter. The first balls, rules and rituals for the game all began with the Olmecs around 3,000 years ago.
The ball game was a spectator sport . It was an astrological study and political engagement all at once. As the ball bounced off the players and the courtside walls, priest analyzed the path of the ball and tried to discern how the path reflected the motion of the sun or Venus. The court was then the heavenly sky or even the under world as the celestial body leaped around.
The ball was allowed to bounce of a player's elbows, hips, knees, and head. But the ball was a fast-flying piece of rubber. Sometimes headgear was required! In addition, touching the ball with your hands was an illegal move. The ball itself caused many injuries, so just the ball made it a very dangerous sport.
The court, or hachco, was a rectangular piece of cement framed by two parallel walls. The walls were built at a low slope at the bottom so that the ball would bounce upward to keep the ball airborne. The ball was not permitted to touch the ground. So in a way, it was similar to hackey sack. Two opponents or opposing teams faced each other from opposite sides of the court. The ball was bounced off the players and the stone walls, all in a fast-paced action that made the game exciting for the townspeople to watch and bet on.
