Chajchaay - Ancient Mayan Ball Game

On Monday afternoon we had the pleasure of watching an ancient sporting event, in part sponsored by the European Union and Oxfam UK. Sometimes called Pelota Maya in the Spanish language or Chajchaay in the native dialect, this sport has been around for thousands of years. There are many variations of rules, number of team members, court size, etc. Therefore I can only really speak on what we observed and not the complete history of the sport.


This sporting event is usually an important element to their spiritual beliefs, so before the game was underway the Mayan spiritual leaders had to bless the court and the players with their incense and prayers. Prior to these acts many local youth performed dances and musical acts, as part of a more complete celebration. But, once all the formalities were taken care of we were underway with the game and commentating by none other than our Executive Director Matias Gutiérrez of Enlace Quiché.


The game we watched was played with 3 members on each team, one being the black jaguars and the other the red eagles. They all came out with body and face paint, sandals, and leather hip padding, and shorts. The players competed on a basketball court using only the lines, and additional hoops hung above the court in the center about 15-20 feet in the air. The ball used is solid rubber of about 3.5lbs, and players are only allowed to make contact with it using their hips, knees, and occasionally the arms/elbows. In order to win, one team must score 8 consecutive points, or get the rubber ball through one of the hoops for immediate end and win of the game. Points do not accumulate unless they are consecutive, i.e. if one team scores 5 and then the other scores 1, those previous 5 points are wiped out. In order to score points teams must get the ball across the end line of the opponent's side. Possession of the ball turns over to the other team if knocked out of bounds, but also during play contact of the ball must alternate between teams. As you can see, based on the scoring and play, these games can last an infinite amount of time. There are no time limits. Luckily for us, after about 45 minutes the jaguars got the ball into the suspended center ring and the game had an end. We were even fortunate to greet the players and touch the ball they use after the game finished.