LOS LLANITOS, México (AP):

On a dirt field on Mexico's Pacific coast, five cousins between the ages of 8 and 13 strip down and kick off their shoes. Nearby, adults help them fasten the pre-Hispanic-style ‘fajado’, securing loincloths and leather belts that wrap around their hips.

The Osuna children grab the rubber ball, all 3.2 kilograms of it – around seven pounds or seven times heavier than a football ball – and begin playing. Only the hips may touch it, forcing players to leap through the air or dive low when it skims the ground.