What was the name of the Aztec ball game played with a rubber ball?

The Aztec ball game played with a rubber ball was called Ullamaliztli, also written ōllamalīztli or ullamaliztli. The name comes from Classical Nahuatl: ōlli means “rubber,” while ōllama means “to play ball.”

Players generally struck the heavy, solid rubber ball with their hips, although related versions used forearms, hands, bats, or sticks. In Tenochtitlan, the ball court was called a tlachtli, and games could be both athletic contests and religiously significant events. The largest court in the capital, Teotlachco, hosted rituals connected with Huitzilopochtli.

A common mix-up is Pok-ta-pok, a modern popular label associated especially with the Maya. It was not the standard Aztec name. The term ullamaliztli itself reflects Spanish spelling conventions; the initial “u” represents a sound closer to Nahuatl ō. The game’s traditions survive in modern ulama, played in parts of Mexico.