On both sides of the Great Ballcourt is a stone ring decorated with a bas-relief of a serpent. The object of the sport (pitz) was to score by sending a rubber ball through this hoop. This rarely happened for several reasons. The ball weighed up to nine pounds and was typically 10 to 12 inches in diameter, nearly the size of the opening. The ring was attached to the masonry apron at a height of 20 feet. The two teams of up to six players each were immensely competitive. Most challenging of all: the athletics could not use their hands. Instead, they used their hips to forward the ball. Above the ring is a small temple. The two at the Great Ballcourt are dedicated to the sun and the moon.
