Chichén Itzá - Ball Courts

Like almost all Mayan cities, Chichén Itzá had several arenas used for the ritual ball game. Seven such ball courts have been found on the site to date. The one at the north-west end of the great plaza is the most impressive so far discovered anywhere in Meso-America.

Along the sides of the playing area - almost 146 m (480 yd) in length and about 37 m (120 ft) wide - run vertical walls 8.5 m (29 ft) high. Fixed in the centre of each wall is a heavy stone ring with serpent ornamentation, positioned 7.25 m (24 ft) above the ground. The game involved hitting a hard rubber ball through the stone rings using only the elbow, knee or hip. The ball, representing the sun, was probably not allowed to touch the ground, otherwise its symbolic "course" would be interrupted. The losers of the game are thought to have been ritually sacrificed (reliefs on panels decorating the bases of walls show players suffering decapitation).

Some experts believe that the small temples at either end - the Edifico Sur and the Templo Norte - were dedicated to the gods of Sun and Moon.