Final answer:
The ballgame is a sport played by various Mesoamerican civilizations, involving a mallet, a ball, and a post. It held religious and ritualistic significance and could be dangerous. A modified version of the sport is still played in Mexico today.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sport that uses a mallet, a ball, and a post is known as the ballgame. It was played by various Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs. The game involved passing a solid rubber ball between players using a mallet or their bodies without using hands, with the objective of hitting the ball through markers or into a stone ring.
Players would wear protective padding to prevent injuries from the heavy ball. The ballgame held significant religious and ritualistic importance and could be quite dangerous, with losing team leaders or even the whole team being sacrificed as part of the game's ceremony.
Today, a similar sport is still played in parts of Mexico, albeit with different rules, resembling volleyball.