Overview
Chichén Itzá was the largest and most powerful city of Mexico's Maya Indians between about 900 and 1200. Today, visitors to the ruins of Chichén Itzá can see the ball court that is described in this fictitious feature. The court is 479 feet long and 118 feet wide. The stone rings are attached to the stone walls of the court 26 feet from the ground. Although the players handled the ball and scored as described in the feature, the actual rules of the ball game are unknown. Ancient Maya carvings often show players crouched on one knee or lying down to block the ball from hitting the ground.
The Maya played the ball game for many reasons. Sometimes, friends played and wagered chocolate or salt on the outcome. More importantly, the game was a sacred reenactment of a story from the Popol Vuh, the Maya holy book. In the story, the Hero Twins played against the Lords of the Underworld and outwitted the gods of death. This reenactment often took place after a battle. Captives were pitted against a local team. If the captives lost, the unfortunate players were sacrificed in bloody ceremonies.