The Ball Game at Edzná

At Edzná, a sacred ball game was practiced in connection with the antagonism of the gods and the apparent rivalry of natural forces. The court was carefully aligned on a north-south axis, with a low platform and Sacbé 3 marking its northern boundary, and only part of one stone ring survives today, embedded in the slope of the western building. In ancient Mexico, the rules varied by region, including the number of players and the number of points needed to win. The game was played with a large solid rubber ball, and players used protectors on the waist and knees. The ball could be struck with any part of the body except the arms and hands. This ancient practice survives in some regions of Mexico, including the Mixtec ball game in Oaxaca and Ulama in northern Mexico.

Campeche · Mexico