Pok-A-Tok: The Mayan Ball Game

Author:
Haunty
Updated date:
Oct 19, 2019

Haunty is a history buff who enjoys reading and writing about ancient history and cultures from around the world.

Maya Pok-A-Tok ballcourt with the ring in Chichén Itzá

What Is Pok-A-Tok?

Pok-A-Tok is a fast-paced ball game played by the Maya of Central America. It is their most famous game, which is thought to have been invented around 2000 BCE. Pok-A-Tok was played in teams of one or two players in every major Mayan city. If there were two players in a team, they assisted each other.

The objective of the game was to get a ball through a narrow stone hoop placed on the court wall, often as high up as 20 feet from the ground. Players were not allowed to use their hands or feet—only their head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hips.

How Was Pok-A-Tok played in Mayan times?

For the Maya, Pok-A-Tok was more than just a challenging game. It symbolized the struggle of life over death, and war and hunting. Pok-A-Tok was often played by prisoners of war, and the members of the losing team were offered as sacrificed to the gods.

Pok-A-Tok games would go on without interruption for long periods of time, often for days. Scoring was so diﬃcult that when a player managed to finally get the ball through the ring located high up on the wall, the game usually ended.

This is not to say that the Maya didn't play the game just for fun. They did. Players would wear protective padding around their waists, and on one shin and forearm. Otherwise the hard, solid-rubber ball could have severely injured or even killed them. The balls were made from rubber from cau-uchu trees, and depictions of Pok-A-Tok show that the ball was as big as a basketball is today.

The padding, called yokes, was made of cotton stuffed into wooden frames. One of these yokes was found in a tomb at Tikal. However, even in games played for fun, the members of the losing team, or at least the captain, were killed in sacrifice to the gods. Who would want to actually play Pok-A-Tok for fun given those odds?

The ruins of Chichén Itzá in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula has the biggest Pok-A-Tok court of all Mesoamerica. It is 545 feet long and 225 feet wide. The Great Ballcourt of Chichén Itzá has its walls covered with carved depictions of sacrifices made to the gods at the game’s end. Near the court, there is a stone platform decorated with hundreds of carved skulls.

Mayan Ballgame Video

Cau-uchu Trees and Rubber Harvest

Mesoamerican people used rubber by 1600 BCE. It was grown in the rainforest of the lowlands and then transferred by merchants to surrounding areas.

Making balls wasn't the only purpose of rubber. It was also used to attach stones to wooden handles, to seal bags that carried water, to water-proof clothing, and to make drumsticks for wooden drums. The Maya even coated their feet with layers of rubber to make shoes. Shaman-priests used rubber to treat lip and ear wounds.

During harvest, the Maya made diagonal cuts in the bark of cau-uchu trees to start the flow of latex down a central vertical channel and into their containers. The rubber was mixed with the juice of the morning glory vine to make it tough, strong, and very elastic—perfect for bouncing. It hardened within minutes, but before that would happen, the Maya shaped the rubber into different sizes of balls.

Scroll to Continue

8-instances-when-classic-literature-inspired-comic-books

How to Make Your Own Rubber Ball

Do this in a ventilated area! You will need a jar of rubber cement and a brush.

Spread a thin layer of rubber cement on a flat surface. Let it dry for a few minutes.
Start pushing your fingers around on the tacky rubber cement. It will peel off and gradually stick together. Roll it around into a ball.
Spread another layer of rubber cement on your work surface. After a few minutes, roll your ball around on the new layer. It will peel up and stick to your ball.
Keep rolling it around, and all the rubber cement will gradually form into a bigger ball.
Repeat this process as many times as you like, building up your rubber ball.

How to Play Pok-A-Tok at Home?

You can do this alone or in teams. You will need two pieces of paper, a pen, tape, a ball.

Draw a circle about 5 inches in diameter onto each piece of paper. If you are playing by yourself, you will only need one piece of paper.
Tape or tack a piece of paper on opposite walls slightly above your head to start. The higher the target, the more challenging the game will be.
Divide into two equal teams and choose your targets. Working as a team, try to hit the center of the circle on your team’s target with the rubber ball without using your hands. The other team will try to take the ball away from you to hit their target, but they also cannot use their hands.
The first team to hit the target wins a point. When both teams have scored a point on their target, move the target higher. Or make the game more challenging by only using your feet, legs, and head. Imagine trying to play Pok-A-Tok like the Maya did, with a heavy rubber ball and a 30-foot-high ring—and remember the penalty for losing in ancient Mayan culture was death!

Comments

da boss on July 06, 2020:

needs more info

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

123 on June 03, 2020:

What did they wear!?

Thanks on June 03, 2020:

This helped me a lot ( ͡• ͜ʖ ͡• )

It does not say the rules on April 24, 2020:

oof byatch

chlo the lo on April 24, 2020:

good but needs more info

what on April 23, 2020:

I need to know this for school and they didn't give enough information!!

7th grade assignment on April 21, 2020:

this helped a lot thanks.

pp on April 21, 2020:

its corona time

lol on April 21, 2020:

This is no help it gives you no help with any thing :( This is so bad

I need to know this for school reasons on April 01, 2020:

I need to know this for school reasons and i need to know thing there not aloud to do apart from use there hands more info

OwO on March 13, 2020:

OwO whats this? nah, jk jk. This is a pretty good source for my project. thank you for this

-_- on March 12, 2020:

Needs more content

-_- on March 11, 2020:

WHAT did THEY wEaR??

Your dead dog on March 09, 2020:

Love u

ERM... on March 09, 2020:

NOT VERY HELPFUL I AM DOING THIS AT SCHOOL AND NEED MORE INFORMATION

broomie on March 05, 2020:

thanks

Me on March 02, 2020:

Need more info

Smart Allack Guy on February 28, 2020:

This is really helpful as I am learning about this at school and also having to do a homework project based on the Mayans. This is really helpful information. Thankyou and an excellent piece of info to help me, thank you.

shy dude on February 15, 2020:

needs more info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

blablabla on February 15, 2020:

not very helpful:(

You on February 11, 2020:

This is awesome!

njjbhbhihpuhpiuhpuiuh on February 07, 2020:

I'm doing this for a prodgect

Me on January 29, 2020:

What do you need to play pok ta pok

St.Ants on January 28, 2020:

I like the informative page. The mayans are good

Your,other on January 12, 2020:

I need help

She on January 09, 2020:

Sick

Looser on January 08, 2020:

I’m doing this for a project

Ajpw on January 08, 2020:

IKR OMG oml wtf

Shinto on January 07, 2020:

Hey people how doing

peppa pig on January 06, 2020:

this is super helpful (not) so sorry

DoomGuy on January 06, 2020:

Pok-a-tok was in the movie eldorodo movie by pixar

Minecraft Miner on December 18, 2019:

I think you should add why they played pok-a-tok

flus lool2 on December 18, 2019:

where do they piay at

flus the lool on December 18, 2019:

who spend their time on this?

I need help on December 17, 2019:

How did they make teams? I need this for a project.

super on December 10, 2019:

this seriously did nooooooot help Me! so sooooory.

Memez on November 21, 2019:

But where did they play pok a tok? I couldn’t find it in here, and i need to know where for a project. Sorry for complaining about this.

Mlg king on November 21, 2019:

Mlg add fort nite is life I eat dogs

Kamurri on November 18, 2019:

This has good info but i think it need more dic#### oh I mean spasas

bed at 8:00 on November 17, 2019:

wanna kees?

cancer on November 17, 2019:

this cause cake boy

JNU on November 13, 2019:

Y’all trash at fortnite

poop on October 29, 2019:

i izgood bec tis are gud

chris pottywagon on October 25, 2019:

i am causing my group to fail a project with grace

gr45 on October 09, 2019:

This help with my work

Name on October 09, 2019:

good vid

Freshavacado on October 01, 2019:

One time someone threw deodorant at me.

Me on September 29, 2019:

Thanks this really helped me btw how did you find out about all those facts.

Peppa on September 27, 2019:

this was helpful

person on September 24, 2019:

Thanks for the information!!!!!!!!!!

wow this helped a lot!!!!!

Twistedleah on September 11, 2019:

Booooo no help for my history test

some thicc man on September 02, 2019:

this had very good information.

yeet on August 20, 2019:

this helped aa lot

Ssss iM a SnAKee on June 20, 2019:

Sssss ssss ssss ssssss ss

Mal on June 11, 2019:

Hisshhsjsjsjsjsjskohsjsjsnnsnsnshshsjshss

Siisj

Logan Paul on May 22, 2019:

My brother weird

Life on May 22, 2019:

Hi I’m life

Tess Mino on May 19, 2019:

great

Jake Paul on May 09, 2019:

I once slapped a dog and threw a ball at it

Robin Williams on May 09, 2019:

This will be in a new movie

guy123 on March 27, 2019:

i h8 fartnite

vh jn.nbh on March 25, 2019:

i love curry

crazylobster1342 on March 19, 2019:

fortnite old

LeGoat on March 02, 2019:

thanks for the A

Le cat on February 13, 2019:

Didn’t the rubber balls have skulls in them to make it slightly hollow and bounce easier

rehan on February 09, 2019:

im dum

lily main on February 06, 2019:

i loved reading your lovely website

Your mum on January 22, 2019:

This was nice

monkey on January 14, 2019:

me too

bob on January 14, 2019:

you dont say

Reece on January 09, 2019:

this is really amazing

nick on December 16, 2018:

this really helped me

josh on December 16, 2018:

i am de one de one de one de one

nick on November 01, 2018:

well done sherlock

Caleb on October 25, 2018:

how many times a day did they play this game of pok a tok

Enrique patt on October 12, 2018:

Here in belize we have a pok a tok team mexico also has check it on youtube

josh on October 08, 2018:

dab

man liked a boss

raiden on September 28, 2018:

teagen your mom

rose on September 14, 2018:

so satisfying

homework on September 12, 2018:

it was good to do for homework and it helped me to understand how it actually works

Hehem on August 08, 2018:

How did they move the ball around the court

asher on May 21, 2018:

I love

wow on May 17, 2018:

hahahahaha lie

HARRYSALTY on May 13, 2018:

thanks :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

XxxFoRtNitExxX on May 11, 2018:

Fortnite godd

FortniteCarrygod on May 01, 2018:

Thanks this helped a lot on my 1,000 word project

FortniteCarrygod on April 30, 2018:

I LIKE FORTNITE

Depressed on April 27, 2018:

Helped me in my question

OSP on April 10, 2018:

hmmm i want to play this right now

tim on April 03, 2018:

wow facinating

hted on March 25, 2018:

how many players are there on each side

Bla bla whatever on March 13, 2018:

To Fel, it was indeed the losers that where sacrificed get ur facts right matr

die on March 12, 2018:

its good for my projekt

boi on March 12, 2018:

b-b-b-boii, this has so much damn info it's ridiculous. what homework do you have that it needs more info than this? This is a high-key dope article that has so much info. BOI

☺ on March 11, 2018:

The may didn't sacrifice it was the aztecks

joshua kafumbe on March 07, 2018:

this is one of the most amazing and facinating games i've seen!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bo on March 02, 2018:

Great!!!Very useful for my legacy project!!! :)

Student on February 25, 2018:

Good but I was wondering what happens if you whisper at the other end

Fantasia Neal on February 19, 2018:

How many people would.play as in numbers

Dunno on February 19, 2018:

Nice to know love