The Chaza, or pelota nacional (national ball), is a

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

racquet A racket, or racquet, is a sports implement used for striking a ball or shuttlecock in games such as squash, tennis, racquetball, badminton and padel. In the strictest sense a racket consists of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a ...

sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

, (like

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

), which is practiced on a rectangular area bounded by lines. This area is divided by a line drawn on the floor that divides the playing field. It is played between two teams, each with 4 players. The object of the game is to launch a ball (called "bombo") by hand or racquet so that it bounces into the opponent's field without being returned. The sport is widely practiced in Nariño, Colombia, and it's the

national sport A national sport is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are ''de facto'' (not established by law) national sports, as sumo is in Japan and Gaelic games are in Ireland and field hockey in Pakistan, while othe ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

History

Chaza was created in the 14th century by

indigenous communities Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

who inhabited the area that is currently on the border of Colombia and

. In the beginning it was played with a heavy

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hog ...

ball, which was thrown by hand.

Game Rules

This game can be played with hands or with a wooden

, The ball is lined with goatskin and called a "bombo" weighing 70-90 grams. Bola vasca

As in

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, players rotate, which is why the field has a line (6 on each side) indicating which position each should play. Points are scored as for

, i.e., 15, 30, 40 and the point. When a team gets 6 points and maintains a minimum difference of 2 points over their rival, it wins the set. When a team wins 2 sets, it wins the game. Each point is also scored as in tennis, looking for the opposing team to fail to return the ball before it bounces 2 times within their field. The field is rectangular and concrete and 110 meters long and 10 meters wide, divided by a line drawn on the ground.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Traditional sports Sport in Colombia Sport in Ecuador Sports originating in Colombia Sports originating in Ecuador Nariño Department

History

Game Rules

See also

References