Mesoamerican ball game

The Mesoamerican ball game was a team game played both for recreation and ceremonial purposes. Essential to play was a bouncy rubber ball weighing roughly 4 pounds. The objective of the game was to keep the ball in play using only some parts of the body such as the hip region and part of the legs. The field of play for this game is a large chasm type court so that the ball could be played off the walls. It is likely that there were many versions of this game due to it's long history and large geographic area where images have shown similar games in play (making it a series of games). Records show that it was a violent and dangerous game that often resulted in serious injury or possibly death (aside from the ceremonial human sacrifices that are associated with the game).

Rules

We do not know the full set of rules to the game (additionally, variations geographically and chronologically add confusion), but what we do suspect:

- Only use the mid-section to hit the ball, no hands allowed.
- Keep the ball in the air.

Objective:

- Beat the other team by keeping the ball in the air/moving. (Score by having the other team be responsible for letting the ball stop moving/hit the ground.)
- (Version with rings/hoops) Get the ball through the hoop.

Equipment

- Rubber ball.
  - Balls varied in size and weight, though we have found examples around 4-8 pounds. Size varies from about the size of a softball to a beach ball.
  - Some balls had skulls wrapped in rubber strips at their core.
- Chasm type court.
  - Shaped like a capital letter "I" symbol (sarif font).
- Protective gear.
  - Padded arm, leg, and waist bands.

Figure B

Stone rings, elevated above the court, are suspected to be a more later addition to the original game. As scoring was unlikely, if a player scored it is thought that the game would end.

Figure A

Illustration of a man playing Ollama, using either his shins or his feet to get the ball into the air.

Figure C

An image showing ruins of a court used for Ollama, as stated in the article, it is shaped like an "I."

History

Estimated to have originated around 1,500 BCE in mesoamerica (includes parts of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico). Developed by those native to the region of Olmec, the game is thought to have revolved around the sun. It is thought this game may of developed as a competitive organized sport in honor of the patron god of the sport (the Olmec sun god). The sport is thought to have been one of the the first organized sports and the first team sports. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, they banned the game, causing the sport to go "underground."

Game Design Elements

The chasm-court worked as a magic circle. Ollama had an end goal that required scoring against the opposing team in order to win. We aren't very sure about other details such as placement on the court. The objectives were to cause the ball to drop on the other team's space.

Art

There were stone reliefs involved in the physical courts that may pertain to the game or other activities the courts were used for. There are also images of the game in records and sculpture. Game courts were representation of a community's wealth and pride. Religious significance is attributed to the game, and therefore decoration was often applied to architectural elements and the ring. Markers for/within the field of play were also decorated with what we attribute as religious symbols. Much of the art pertaining to ollama shows images of the sun, a sacred symbol.

References

Links

Some sites listed below may be more geared to children, as this game is often talked about in school classrooms during the study of mesoamerica.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_ballgame - Wikipedia, contains a lot of images of art pertaining to the game.
- http://www.ballgame.org - Contains interactive elements, diagrams, and cultural reenactments dealing with ollama.
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/mayanballgame.htm - Kid's site with a simple explanation about the game, and illustrations.

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