The main plaza of the village of San Luis was the central hub of commerce and activities for the mission, following a tradition in which both Spaniards and Apalachee built large, central plazas in their communities. Circular and 410 feet in diameter, about the size of a modern football field, this open, treeless, packed-clay space hosted many community activities. On any given day it might have been filled with soldiers marching, merchants trading, and children playing. Juan de Paiva, pastor at San Luis, wrote about the ball game and what he saw as its evils as part of his campaign to stop it, and two native interpreters provided many details about the game's origins and associated religious practices.