Across the mountains of southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, Chaza has been played for centuries. Largely unknown outside the region, Chaza is more than a sport for many Andean communities in Nariño: it is a tradition, a social event, and a link between generations.

Chaza is widely considered an Indigenous sport originating from the Pasto people, who lived in the region that is now northern Ecuador and southern Colombia. Many historians estimate that the game has been played for at least 500 years, though its exact origins are difficult to trace. Some believe that when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas, they saw Indigenous people playing this game and later brought the idea back to Europe, where it eventually influenced tennis. However, this explanation is likely not historically accurate, since tennis is known to have developed from the French game Jeu de paume (dating back over 1000 years) and other European handball games. A more realistic possibility is that Chaza developed locally but may have been influenced by European handball traditions that arrived during colonization, including games similar to Basque pelota, which are still played in Spain today. The truth may lie somewhere in between that Chaza is an Indigenous game with its own identity, but one that evolved alongside other ball-striking traditions. Today, the sport is sometimes called “tenis pastuso,” or Pastuso tennis, referencing both the region and the fact that the scoring system resembles tennis.

Traditionally, Chaza was the pastime of young people and farmers, who gathered to play after a long day in the fields. Finishing their work, they would come together not just for sport, but for socializing and celebration. Many current players remember joining in because their parents played, making Chaza almost a familial rite of passage. Matches quickly turn into communal gatherings. Families attend, children watch, and over the years, they, too, step onto the court. Large events often feel more like festivals, complete with music, food, gambling, and shared celebration. Much like the traditions linked to the Mesoamerican ballgame, Chaza serves as a cultural anchor, uniting entire communities.

Many of the biggest championships are held in June, often aligned with religious celebrations honoring patron saints and Jesus. The cultural significance of the sport was recognized nationally when, on September 9, 2024, Chaza was officially declared Colombia's national sport. Despite this recognition, the game remains relatively niche compared to fútbol, which dominates the country’s athletic landscape. Because of this, there is currently an active movement in Colombia to establish training centers for young players to preserve and promote the tradition. Interestingly, some players interviewed in videos about the sport claim that Chaza players do not reach their athletic prime until their forties or even later, which is unusual compared to many modern sports where youth is an advantage.

One version of Chaza is played using only the hand, similar to handball. The ball used in this version is called a Navolato. After the ball is hit, it may only bounce once before it must be returned. In one observed match, the game was played four-on-four, though team sizes can vary based on prior negotiations. The ball used in the handball version of Chaza, sometimes referred to as pelota mano, is smaller than the ball used in racquet versions of the game.

A particularly interesting element in this version is the moving Chaza rule, which determines how much territory each team must defend. In this rule, a "chaza" is a marker the referee places on the court at the spot where a team failed to return the ball, signaling where a point was lost. The chaza then becomes the new dividing line for the teams. After the mark is placed, the teams switch sides, and the chaza serves as the midline for the next stage of play. This means one team now has less ground to protect, forcing the other team to defend a larger area. As a result, points can only be scored through skill and strategy, not by luck.

This shifting boundary turns the game into something like a territorial battle, where the playing area can expand or contract depending on where points are scored. Few sports allow the playable area to change during a match, making this one of Chaza's most unique features. Because the translations in the videos were not very clear and my Spanish is limited, the exact technical rules behind the marking system remain somewhat unclear. However, multiple videos confirmed that the chaza functions as a movable boundary marker that changes the strategic playing area.

There are also versions of the game played with racquets or paddles. In Colombia, one version of Chaza uses a distinctive racquet called a bomba. The bomba is somewhat long, made of wood, and has a hitting surface of stretched goat or cow hide. When the ball is struck, the racquet produces a distinct drum-like sound, one of the game's recognizable sensory features. The Colombian racquet is generally longer and lighter than the racquets used in Pelota Nacional, another Chaza-style game.

The court for racquet Chaza is about 110 meters long and 10 meters wide, making it long and narrow. The game uses tennis scoring: 15, 30, 40, then game. Typically, teams of four play against each other. In a video I watched, a reporter asked if people knew what Chaza was. Many in Colombia said it refers to a street vendor stand selling items like candy, gum, or cigarettes.

A closely related sport played in Ecuador is called Pelota Nacional. Pelota Nacional is estimated to date back to around the 15th century and shares many similarities with Chaza. The court resembles a tennis court but is approximately 100 meters long and played without a net. Teams can range from two to five players per side, and the exact team size is often negotiated before the match begins. The racquet used in Pelota Nacional is called a tabla, which can weigh over 12 pounds. It features large rubber studs on one side, which make the tabla heavier and help strike the ball farther. Because of its heavy weight, players must use large looping swings to build enough momentum to strike the ball.

Serving with such a heavy racquet is extremely difficult, so players use a separate 8-pound serving racquet. After serving, the server drops the serving racquet and quickly picks up the main racquet, which has a stud like a bicycle kickstand to stand upright for easy grabbing.

The equipment used in these games has evolved over time. While older racquets were often more circular, modern ones tend to resemble oversized pickleball paddles, featuring weighted rubber studs on one end. Adorned with images of family members, ancestral symbols, or expressions of national pride, many modern racquets become personal expressions of identity. Whether decorating racquets is a recent trend or an enduring tradition remains unclear.

Earlier versions of the sport used a completely different striking tool that resembled a giant, solid baseball glove with metal prongs sticking out to strike the ball. These gloves were extremely heavy, sometimes weighing up to 25 pounds, and required considerable strength to control. The ball used with these gloves was made of pure rubber, which made it dense and heavy. Players closest to the midline used the heaviest gloves, midfield players used slightly lighter ones, and players defending the back of the court used the lightest versions, though even those were still very heavy. These older tools placed significant strain on the wrist, and precise aim was necessary to keep the ball traveling straight. Even with wooden racquets, if the ball was not struck directly in the center of the racquet face, it could hurt the player’s wrist or even break it.

Even though the game is often played by adults, children frequently become involved early. Young players sometimes begin using improvised racquets and playing with a small soccer ball as their first Chaza ball before transitioning to the official equipment. This gradual introduction helps keep the sport alive within families and communities. Because soccer dominates the region's sports landscape, Chaza remains a relatively small sport, but there is currently growing interest in preserving and promoting it through youth training programs.

Introducing students to Chaza provides more than just a new game. It lets them explore Indigenous sports traditions and the role of community in athletics. Students also see how games change across generations and how unique rules—like the moving Chaza boundary—inspire strategy. In the next lesson, younger students will try a simplified version of Chaza that focuses on the game's core elements: striking, teamwork, and positioning. Older students will explore territorial strategy. Everyone will learn about a sport that has connected Andes communities for centuries.

Materials:

·    A large gym area or hard playing surface to allow a bounce

·    Several volleyballs (the more the better) for younger ages or skill levels

·    Several tennis balls (the more the better) for older ages or skill levels

Minimum Number of Students: This game can be played with as few as 2 students, since it resembles netless tennis. However, it works better when a game is 3 V 3 or 4 V 4. If you have more than 16 kids in your class, split them up and make more games to accommodate them all. For example, a class of twenty-five would have three games: two are 4 v 4 and one is 3 v 3.

Prior Knowledge: The students may be studying the continents of South America or conducting specific research on Ecuador or Colombia.