Ulama (game)

Ollama (Spanish pronunciation: [uˈlama]) is a ball game played in Mexico, currently experiencing a revival from its home in a few communities in the state of Sinaloa.

Ōllamaliztli was the Aztec name for the Mesoamerican ballgame (meaning roughly the process of playing the ball game), whose roots extended back to at least the 2nd millennium BC and evidence of which has been found in nearly all Mesoamerican cultures in an area extending from modern-day Mexico to El Salvador, and possibly in modern-day Arizona and New Mexico.

[5] As part of its nationwide revival, the game now has a home in the capital Mexico City, at a cultural centre in the Azcapotzalco neighborhood.

[6] Ulama games are played on a temporary court called a tastei ([tas.te], from tlachtli [ˈt͡ɬat͡ʃt͡ɬi], the Nahuatl word meaning "ballcourt").

A ball that is allowed to cross the end line, the chichi or chivo, will result in a point scored for the opposing team.

Sinaloan ulama player in action.
Aztec ullamaliztli players performing for Charles V in Spain, drawn by Christoph Weiditz in 1528. Note the similarity in dress to the modern-day ulama player above.