What games did the Maya play?

Ancient Maya games were often serious and important events. One game historians know about, called pitz, could even be deadly. The losing captain or king was sometimes sacrificed!

The game of pitz is more than 3,000 years old and was played to keep the gods happy and to settle disagreements.

It played an important role within both Maya society and religious beliefs. Although deadly, it does share similarities with today’s ball games.

One of the many things the ancient Maya are remembered for is their ball game, which they called pitz.

• This game is more than 3,000 years old.
• 300 courts have been found, and they were in the shape of a capital ‘L’.

They built large ball courts and often played in front of crowds.

The game lasted two weeks.

Lots of spectators gathered on the high platforms on either side.

Murals depicting warriors, rituals and ceremonies were painted on the sides of the platforms.

Some courts had stone hoops the Maya had to get the ball through.

Players used a rubber ball which was not meant to touch the ground. The aim of the game was to get the ball to the other side of the court or to make the other team drop the ball.

The players wore leather protective clothing and sometimes a ritual headdress.

The ball games we play today are much less deadly, but there are still some similarities. For example, the Maya players had to work together as a team, usually consisting of between 2-6 players.

The ball game was not played for enjoyment. The main reason was to keep the gods happy. People believed that the game was played instead of going to war.

Human sacrifice was probably part of the games, with perhaps the losing captain or captured kings sacrificed to the gods.

Archaeologists have discovered more than 1500 ball courts of different sizes across Mesoamerica. These ruins have helped them to begin to understand the Maya ancient ball game pitz.

Other clues, such as ceramic figures, decorated pottery and written evidence from Spanish explorers, have also helped archaeologists to understand pitz.

Piecing together all of these clues has helped archaeologists understand the bigger picture and decide why pitz was so important to the Maya.

Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.

• Pitz was important in Maya religion and in settling arguments between towns. What does this show about what the Maya valued?

• Why do you think that so many ball courts of different sizes were built by the Maya across Mesoamerica?

• Pitz was played with a rubber ball and involved teamwork. Can you think of any modern games that are similar?

Let's find out what you know about ancient Maya games in this quiz.

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