The pre-Hispanic ball game was one of the most significant elements in the urban structure of Mesoamerican peoples. Directly related to political and religious power, it was played with a rubber ball that was hit with different parts of the body, except the hands.

Of the six courts documented in the Monte Albán polygon -which includes the three hills of Atzompa, Monte Albán and El Gallo-, the Atzompa court is the largest; it is almost 45 m long by 22 m wide, its orientation is north-south and from an aerial perspective it has the characteristic shape of a Latin I. It is located in the northeast and southeast corners of the site. In the northeast and southwest corners there are niches in which they possibly placed sculptures of the gods to whom they dedicated the contests. This ball game is an apparently public ritual space, given that the smaller courts of this site suggest a private use.