Pok-a-Tok

Pok-a-Tok was an ancient Mayan ballgame played on a stone court, often involving a rubber ball and a thick stone hoop. The game had religious and political significance, symbolizing the struggle between life and death or the cosmic battle between gods. Players used their hips, elbows, or knees to pass the ball, aiming to get it through the stone hoop without using their hands. It was more than a sport; it was a ritual with deep spiritual meaning, often associated with mythology and mythology, sometimes culminating in ceremonial death or sacrifice for rulers and gods.