What were the ancient ball games?

Seated Olmec figure from the 12th to the 9th century BC.

During what is known as the Late Formative period, from 400 to 100 BC, ball courts started becoming much more commonplace throughout Meso-America.

Plan of the Tecpán (palace) in Tenochtitlan by Bernardino de Sahagún showing the central position of the ball court (marked “f”). Other features of the drawing include the two great temples (a); the Quauhxicalli or eagle bowl (b); one of the Callimecatl, or priest houses (c); an eagle house or warriors’ shrine (e); a Tzompantli or skull rack (g); the temple of Xipi (h); the Temalacatl or Gladiator Stone (t); dance courts (n) and the Coatenamitl or Serpent Wall, so called because it was decorated with the heads of serpents (o).

BALL GAMES AND EVERYDAY LIFE

The fundamental role of the ball games in Meso-American social, political and ritual life seems to have dissipated during the subsequent Early Classic period of 250 to 600 AD, when the mighty city of Teotihuacan exerted its influence throughout the region.

Pyramid of the sun at Teotihuacan.

Surprisingly, in the influencial city of

Teotihuacan

not a single
ball court has been found.

Fresco from Tepantitla, Teotihuacan.

After having experienced a period of lesser popularity, the Meso-American ball games achieved arguably their most elaborate form – during what is called the Late Classic period – in the Maya area and around Mexico’s Gulf Coast. During this period, between 600 and 900 AD, the popularity of the ball games was unsurpassed. Every major site has one ball court and some have many more.

Mayan rule infused a renewed passion for the

Meso-American ball games.

DECLINE OF THE MAYAN CIVILISATION

Ceramic Mayan ball player from 600-900.

19th-century illustration depicting a human sacrifice.

Stelae from Santa Lucía, Guatemala, depicting a priest holding a human head.

Illustration from the Codex Magliabechiano (16th century).

Illustration from the Aztec Codex Azcatitlan (16th-17th century).

Detail from the Madrid Codex (15th century), a collection of Maya books.

The Aztecs are the most famous of the Meso-American civilisations, perhaps by virtue of being the last before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. Centred on Tenochtitlan - modern-day Mexico City - they provided the ball games with a final flourish before their

extinction.

Illustration of the great temple at Tenochtitlan.

Illustration of the god Omacatl by Bernardino de Sahagún.

Plan of the Tecpán (palace) in Techochtitlan by Bernardino de Sahagún showing the ball court (marked “f”). Other features of the drawing include the two great temples (a); the Quauhxicalli or eagle bowl (b); one of the Callimecatl, or priest houses (c); an eagle house or warriors’ shrine (e); a Tzompantli or skull rack (g); the temple of Xipi (h); the Temalacatl or Gladiator Stone (t); dance courts (n) and the Coatenamitl or Serpent Wall, so called because it was decorated with the heads of serpents (o).

Modern interpretation of Tenochtitlan by the Mexican artist Diego Rivera (1886-1957).

17th-century illustration of Nezahualpilli.

Watercolour of Moctezuma on his throne, by Diego García Panes (1730-1811).

Anonymous painting of Moctezuma.

The first Europeans to witness Meso-American ball games were the Spanish conquistadores, who landed on the coasts of what is now Mexico in the early 16th century. These Europeans may have been fascinated by the cultures that they encountered, but they were equally determined to introduce their own customs among the indigenous peoples, imposing them by force if necessary. Ball games became a relic of a Meso-American culture that was soon to be no more.

Illustration of the conquistadores entering Guadalajara in 1522 accompanied by Tlaxcalan warriors.

When the Conquistadores arrived, the Meso-American ball game was consigned

to history.

Illustration by Christoph Weiditz from 1529. Weiditz probably assumed that the ball was filled with air because of the way it bounced, as he would have been unfamiliar with rubber.

“at the moment, this game is not played anymore. It was forbidden by the friars, because the game was based on witchcraft and

pacts with the devil.”b

Juan de Pomar in his Relación de
Texcoco of 1582

Despite the conquistadores prohibiting the game, it continued to be played clandestinely in many parts of Meso-America, especially in the northern Mexican states of Nayarit and Sinaloa. When association football arrived in Mexico at the end of the 19th century courtesy of English miners from Cornwall, the memory of the hip-ball game had not been entirely extinguished. To this day, a few communities in Sinaloa continue to play this ancient ball game and are often recruited to perform demonstrations.

Re-enactment of a Meso-American ball game.

Re-enactment of a Meso-American ball game, commonly known today as ulama, in Yucatán.

Today the game is performed rather than played, giving a fascinating insight into

the culture that created it.

A World Cup for the hip ball game, which is also referred to as pok-ta-pok, was introduced in 2015. It took place in Chichen Itza in Mexico and has been held every two years since. The physical demands on the players are so great that before the tournament a Mayan healer invokes the Gods to protect and bless them. Belize are the masters of the game having won three of the first four tournaments staged.

All modern ball sports have their own unique origin story that led to codification, so one that was played with the hip would seem to have limited relevance to the story of how association football was developed. It would be wrong, however, to assume that there are no connections. Long overlooked, Meso-American ball games are an important part of the cultural heritage of all modern ball sports, and some of the parallels with today’s football are striking.

To step back in time and witness a ball game in Meso-America would not be an entirely unfamiliar experience for the modern fan. You would encounter the spectators making their way to the match, stopping to eat and have a drink perhaps, and maybe even witness them placing a bet on the outcome. Then you would come across the arena itself, located as a focal point of the city, with the spectators crowded around the pitch. You would hear the shouting and cheering sparked by the players’ efforts to propel the ball through a hoop – effectively a goal. Just like today, those spectators followed teams with real passion, and equally strong was the desire to acquire status by becoming a patron of a team. Finally, as the game finished, you would watch as the spectators flooded out into the surrounding streets, talking about the events in the game, the outcome and the skills on show.

This fascination with attending games played with a ball would appear to span the centuries and transcend geographical barriers. Much of what we know today about the Meso-American ball games comes from the archaeological finds related to the ball courts, so look at it this way: imagine stepping forward 1,000 years in time and visiting the ruins of the great stadiums of today. Would the experience be so different from visiting the Meso-American ball courts of yore? What would our ancestors learn about the modern-day game of football if they were to stumble upon our stadiums in 1,000 years’ time?

FIFA Museum AG

Special thanks to

Dr. Martin E. Berger (Research)

—

Library of Congress, World Digital Library

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Storyboard & Screendesign

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Website development & technical support

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