During the Sacred Ball Game, Mayan athletes would try to hurtle a nine pound rubber ball towards this hoop. Scoring a point was incredibly difficult because they could not use their hands. Instead, they primarily used their hips to forward the ball. Often the game of Pok-A-Tok, which was also called Pitz or Ōllamalizti, would extend for hours and sometimes days. It was common for contestants to die during the competition. Some historians believe the sport dates back 3,000 years. This is Juego de Pelota, one of two courts you will see at Coba.
