BALL-GAME

One popular Mayan game was called pok-a-tok which required a big rubber ball. The ball symbolized the sun's movement. To play, they tried to get the ball into a basket, but this was different from modern basketball. The playing field evolved over time into different shapes and sizes. At first, the playing field was in the shape of the letter H, then rectangular. The game was played with two teams of 7 players. Little else is known of the rules, which probably changed throughout time. The pok-a-tok ball was very heavy and dangerous, so the Mayans protected their knees, hips, and heads while playing. The Mayans believed that if they played correctly they served their gods well. In doing so, the sun would shine, the rains would come at the right time, and the crops would be abundant.