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The Aztecs played a ball game called ōllamalitzli (or ōllamaliztli), derived from the word ōlli (rubber) and the verb ōllama (to play ball). While this game shares some similarities with basketball, such as the use of a ball and a court, there are also significant differences. For example, in the Aztec game, players could only use their elbows, knees, hips, and heads to hit the ball, and the ball was never allowed to touch the ground. Points were gained by hitting the ball against the end wall or, decisively, by getting the ball through a stone hoop, although this was rare. While James Naismith is credited with inventing modern basketball, he had never heard of the Aztec's ōllamalitzli when he created the game in 1891.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the Aztec game | ōllamalitzli (or ullamaliztli) |
| Other names | ōllamaliztli, tlachtli, juego de pelota maya, juego de pelota mesoamericano, pelota maya |
| Language of the Aztecs | Nahuatl |
| Meaning of the name | Derived from the word ōlli ("rubber") and the verb ōllama ("to play ball") |
| Name of the ball | ōllamaloni |
| Name of the ball court | tlachtli |
| Largest ball court | Teotlachco ("in the holy ball court") in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan |
| Rituals performed | Sacrifice |
| Purpose | Served as a way to defuse or resolve conflicts without warfare, to settle disputes through a ballgame |
| Rules | Players could not touch the ball with their hands, only with elbows, knees, hips and head |
| Rules | The ball was never allowed to touch the ground |
| Rules | Points were lost if a player let the ball bounce more than twice before returning it |
| Rules | Points were lost if the ball went outside the boundaries of the court |
| Rules | Points were lost if a player failed to pass the ball through one of the stone rings |
| Rules | Points were gained if the ball hit the opposite end wall |
| Rules | The game ended if a player managed to put the ball through a ring, a rare occurrence |
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What You'll Learn
The Aztec ball game, ōllamalitzli, was a ritual
The Aztec ball game, ōllamalitzli (or ōllamaliztli), was a ritual deeply ingrained in Mesoamerican cultures. It is derived from the word ōlli, meaning "rubber", and the verb ōllama or "to play ball". The ball itself was called ōllamaloni and the ballcourt was called a tlachtli.
The game served purposes beyond that of a mere sporting event. For example, the Aztec emperor Axayacatl played Xihuitlemoc, the leader of Xochimilco, wagering his annual income against several Xochimilco chinampas. In another instance, Topiltzin, the Toltec king, played against three rivals, with the winner ruling over the losers. These examples and others are cited by many researchers who argue that the game served as a way to defuse or resolve conflicts without warfare, settling disputes through a ball game.
The Aztec version of the ball game is believed to have originated earlier than 2000 BC in the low-lying tropical zones home to the rubber tree. One candidate for the birthplace of the ball game is the Soconusco coastal lowlands along the Pacific Ocean, where archaeologists have found a ballcourt dated to approximately 1400 BC. The other major candidate is the Olmec heartland, across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec along the Gulf Coast.
In the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, the largest ballcourt was called Teotlachco ("in the holy ballcourt"). Several important rituals would take place on the festivals of the month Panquetzalitzli, including human sacrifices. The game was often accompanied by heavy betting. Various myths mention the ball game, sometimes as a contest between day and night deities.
The rules of the game were as follows: players could only use their elbows, knees, hips, and heads to hit the ball, and it was forbidden for the ball to touch the ground. Points were gained if the ball hit the opposite end wall, and the game was won by putting the ball through a stone hoop, although this was extremely rare.
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The game was played on a tlachtli, or ball court
The Aztec ball game, ōllamalitzli (or ollamaliztli, ullamaliztli) was played on a tlachtli, or ball court. The game was played throughout pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and the Aztecs played it during the Postclassic period. The ball court, or tlachtli, was a ritual space where the game served as a way to settle disputes and avoid warfare.
The Aztec version of the game is derived from the word ōlli, meaning "rubber", and the verb ōllama or "to play ball". The ball itself was called ōllamaloni. In the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, the largest ballcourt was called Teotlachco, or "the holy ballcourt". Here, important rituals were held, including sacrifices.
The game was played between two teams and the objective was to get the ball through a stone hoop, which was extremely difficult. Some courts did not even have rings. The ball was not allowed to touch the ground, and players could only use their elbows, knees, hips, and heads to hit the ball. This made for a very fast-paced game. The players were highly skilled, and the ball could stay in the air for an hour or more.
The ballgame was a noble's game and was often accompanied by heavy betting. It was also steeped in mythology, sometimes depicted as a contest between day and night deities.
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Players could only use elbows, knees, hips, and heads to move the ball
The Aztec ball game, called ōllamalitzli (or ollamaliztli) in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, was a fast-paced game. Players could not touch the ball with their hands; only the elbows, knees, hips, and head were used to move the ball and keep it from touching the ground. This rule made the game very fast-paced, and players had to constantly throw themselves against the surface of the court to keep the ball in the air. Skillful players could keep the ball in the air for an hour or more.
The game was played on a tlachtli, or ball court, and the objective was to get the ball through a stone hoop, which was extremely difficult. Some courts didn't even have rings. The Aztec version of the game is derived from the word ōlli, meaning "rubber," and the verb ōllama, meaning "to play ball." The ball itself was called ōllamaloni.
The Mesoamerican ball game was a ritual deeply ingrained in Mesoamerican cultures and served purposes beyond that of a mere sporting event. It is hypothesized that the game served as a way to defuse or resolve conflicts without warfare, settling disputes through the ball game instead of a battle. In Aztec times, the game was often accompanied by heavy betting and was considered a noble's game.
The game was played with various equipment, including kneepads, gloves, helmets, and elaborate headdresses. The sizes or weights of the balls used are not known with certainty.
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The Aztec version of the Mesoamerican ballgame
The ballgame was an important part of Aztec life, deeply ingrained in their culture and serving purposes beyond that of a mere sporting event. It was a way to defuse or resolve conflicts without warfare, and over time, it expanded to include the resolution of competition and conflict within Aztec society. The game was also frequently associated with religion and the underworld in Mesoamerican mythology. The captain of the losing team or even the entire team would sometimes be sacrificed to the gods.
The rules of the Aztec version of the Mesoamerican ballgame are not known in great detail. However, in the 16th century, the Spaniards witnessed a version where points were lost if a player let the ball bounce more than twice before returning it, if the ball went outside the boundaries of the court, or if the player failed to pass the ball through one of the stone rings placed on each wall along the centre line. Points were gained if the ball hit the opposite end wall, and a decisive victory was achieved by putting the ball through the ring, although this was a rare occurrence.
Players were required to hit the ball with their bodies, particularly their hips, rather than with their hands or feet. They wore protective gear, including belts, padding for the knees, hips, elbows, and wrists, as well as padded helmets or feathered headdresses for ceremonial purposes. Winners of the game received trophies, such as hachas (representations of human heads) and stone yokes.
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James Naismith invented modern basketball, not the Aztecs
James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical education instructor, invented basketball in 1891. He was born in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, in 1861, and died in 1939. He studied theology and excelled in various sports as a young man. He moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, in the 1890s to teach at the YMCA International Training School.
Naismith invented basketball as a way to make physical education more enjoyable and less dangerous. Luther Halsey Gulick Jr., head of the Physical Education Department at the school, asked Naismith and other instructors to devise indoor games that could replace the boring or dangerous exercises used during the winter. For his new game, Naismith selected features of soccer, American football, field hockey, and other outdoor sports but eliminated body contact between players. The first games employed half-bushel peach baskets as targets, so a stepladder was needed to retrieve the ball after goals.
Naismith's invention of basketball is distinct from the Aztec version of the game, called ōllamalitzli (or ullamaliztli in some sources). The Aztec ballgame is a ritual deeply ingrained in Mesoamerican cultures and served purposes beyond that of a sporting event. It is not known precisely when or where the Mesoamerican ballgame originated, although it likely originated earlier than 2000 BC in the low-lying tropical zones home to the rubber tree. The Aztec version includes rituals and involves sacrificing a ball made of rubber.
Thus, while the Aztecs may have played a version of a ball game, James Naismith is credited with inventing modern basketball as we know it today.
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Frequently asked questions
No, James Naismith invented modern American basketball in 1891. However, the Aztec version of the Mesoamerican ballgame is called ōllamalitzli (or ollama) and was played in the ball court or field, tlachtli.
The game was played between two teams on a court. Players could only use their elbows, knees, hips, and heads to keep a ball in the air and try to get it through a stone hoop on the wall. The ball was never allowed to touch the ground.
The game was a ritual and often involved heavy betting. It may have served as a way to settle disputes and defuse conflicts without warfare.
