Great Ballcourt, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Chichén Itzá has the largest ballcourt (Juego de Pelota) in ancient Mesoamerica.

An essential part of the ballcourt are the two stone scoring rings decorated with serpents which are found on opposite walls of the field. Nobody knows exactly how the game was played but it's believed that for a team to score, the players of that team had to pass a hard rubber ball through the openings of the rings without using their hands. Although played for sport the game had a religious significance.

At one time it was believed that the losers were destined to die but new theories suggest that the captain of the winning team was sacrificed since his team's triumph made him a worthier offering to the gods.