Pelota Ball court

Behind the Temple of the Jaguar was the Great Ball Court. A capital "ɪ' shaped court surrounded by 10m high walls, made from limestone. This allowed the court to have a great resonance, and even though it was 167m long, it's said you could talk to someone at the other end without shouting. At one end was the Kings viewing area, at the other the dignitaries.

The Mayans managed to discover the technique of vulcanising rubber, and made a ball out of it. The game involved passing the ball between players using only the shoulders, chest or hips. They would try to pass the ball to their captain, who stood on a raised platform the length of the court at the side. He had a stick which he needed to propel the ball through a ring, high up on the centre, side of the court.

Legends say that the winning Capitan would present his own head to the losing Capitan, who then decapitates him. While this may seem a very strange reward, the Mayans believed that this to be the ultimate honour. The winning Capitan getting a direct ticket for heaven instead of going through the 13 high steps that the Mayan's believed they had to go through in order to reach a peaceful heaven.Read more