Basque Pelota
Family of Basque handball / racket games played off a wall — the parent of jai alai.
👥1 per team🌤both
What is Basque Pelota?
Basque pelota is a family of court games played off a stone wall, using hand, wooden paddle (paleta), racket or cesta. Variants include mano (bare hand), paleta, xare and cesta punta (jai alai). It is a fixture of Basque culture on both sides of the French-Spanish border, with world championships every four years.
Quick facts
Category
Ball Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇪🇸 Spain
Estimated origin
Medieval Basque Country (French and Spanish)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-20.verified