For over three millennia the game of ‘pelota’ has been a traditional sport played in Mexico. What sets it apart from other sports are its surprising rules and gameplay!
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A symbolic sport
Pelota is a hybrid sport made up of football, volleyball and even basketball. Derived from the Mayan culture (900 to 1200 AD), it was played by the pre-Columbian people during ceremonies and religious rituals. According to legend, the rubber ball represents the sun and the ground represents darkness. The goal of the game is for man to escape the darkness and join the sun. It is said that at the end of the game the winner of Pelota has the ‘reward’ of being sacrificed, by being beheaded. However this theory has been disputed by some experts, according to whom it was the loser who was sacrificed.
The rules of the game
Just like in many sports, Pelota is played between two teams trying to get a rubber ball (weighing about 3 kilos) through a stone ring without it touching the ground. However the players are not allowed to use their hands or feet, which is quite amazing to see! If one of the players inadvertently uses one of these prohibited body parts, or drops the ball on the ground, that team loses a point and the other team gains one.
So are you ready for a game of Pelota? (Without the sacrifice, we promise!)
