Pok-A-Tok was a ball game played by the ancient Maya well over 1000 years ago in what’s now Cancun and Riviera Maya. And there’s evidence that the Toltecs and Aztecs played variations of the game, too, as there are stadiums (for lack of a better term) dotted throughout Mexico.
What does Pok-A-Tok mean?
pok-a-tok | NCpedia. noun. Definition: A ritual ball game of the Maya, versions of which are found throughout Mesoamerica. Played with a solid rubber ball, and heavy pads, the object of the game was to knock the ball with any part of the body except the hands through a stone scoring ring.
Is Pok-A-Tok still played?
One such game is the Pok-A-Tok, which record show may been played as a ritual some 1400 years BC by the Maya. When you think about a game played so long ago, you’d assume the practice is long extinct. Thanks to a group of young Belizean men, this ancient Maya ball game remains alive!
What happened to the winners in Pok-A-Tok?
The winner (yes, winner!) of the game was sacrificed, which was then the highest honor bestowed on a Mayan player. Pok-Ta-Pok ball courts, which must have been inspiration for Harry Potter’s Quidditch, can still be found at Mayan archeological sites, such as Chichen Itza, and Uxmal.
Was Pok-A-Tok religious?
The Ball Game, called pok-a-tok, was sacred to the Maya. It was an extension of their religion, and involved a great deal of ceremony. The game may have been a reenactment of the Maya myth of the Hero Twins.
What is the history of Pok-A-Tok?
Pok-A-Tok is a fast-paced ball game played by the Maya of Central America. It is their most famous game, which is thought to have been invented around 2000 BCE. Pok-A-Tok was played in teams of one or two players in every major Mayan city. If there were two players in a team, they assisted each other.
What were the rules of Pok A Tok?
But there were a few concrete rules that never really changed: There are two teams –with two to five players on each team. The players must keep the ball in the air without using their hands or their feet. This meant using your hips, knees, thighs, upper arms and elbows to keep the ball in the air.
How do you play Pok A Tok?
The ball is hit into the field of play and players can pass the ball to each other using only their elbows, knees and hips. Hands, heads and feet are not allowed. A point is scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball before it bounces a second time, or when the ball reaches the opposing end zone.
How heavy was a Pok A Tok ball?
In the most common theory of the game, the players struck the ball with their hips, although some versions allowed the use of forearms, rackets, bats, or handstones. The ball was made of solid rubber and weighed as much as 4 kg (9 lbs), and sizes differed greatly over time or according to the version played.
Where is Pok Pok?
Pok ta Pok, the ancient Mayan ball game, is still played in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Why is Pok Pok important?
A very important religious ritual of the Maya culture. The Maya Ballgame “Pok Ta Pok” was a ritual deeply ingrained in the Maya culture. It served much more than being just a sporting event, it was a way of calming disputes and settling arguments which avoided wars.
