Final answer:
Contrary to the claim in the question, it was typically the leaders of the losing team who faced the risk of human sacrifice, not the captain of the winning team in the ancient Mayan ball game.The statement that the captain of a winning Mayan ball game would be honored by having his head cut off is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
In ancient Maya culture, the ball game had significant religious importance and was connected to their mythology. In the myth of the hero twins Hun Hunaphu and Xbalanque, Hun Hunaphu was decapitated by the gods of the underworld after a ball game, and his head was used as a ball.
However, in actual practice, it was usually the leaders of the losing team that could expect to be sacrificed, not the winners. The game was played with protective gear due to the dangerous, heavy solid rubber ball used, and although human sacrifice did occur, it was not necessarily the fate of the winning captain. Ball courts, evidence of the game's widespread popularity and significance, can still be found throughout Central America.