Mayans loved their ball games for nearly three millenniums. It has several names including pitz, pok-a-tok, Mesoamerican ballgame or simply Maya ball. The Aztecs called it ōllamalizti. The sport was a blend of athletic endurance (games could last two weeks) with religious overtones and human sacrifice. Chichen Itza has 17 courts. This was the biggest with parallel walls measuring over 500 feet long. The Great Ballcourt is also the largest of more than 1,300 Mesoamerican ball courts uncovered in central Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and three more neighboring countries. It was constructed in 864 AD.
