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. It is thought that some versions may have employed a wooden bat used by the team captain. In certain contexts, the losing team would be sacrificed. The ball game figures prominently in the Maya creation myth, the Popol Vuh.