Perhaps the most common of all Basque games, pilota is played in every nook and cranny, in every small village of all seven provinces. Similar to american handball, but played on a larger court with a leather ball, it has followed the Basques to every corner of the earth where they have settled. Although the origin of the game is disputed, it seems to have its roots in the ancestors of tennis, but developed along different lines and today exists basically in the Basque Country, its environs and its colonies. There are several variations of the game, some played with special handheld objects. The old game, boat luze, which was practiced in the sorhopil on high flat grassy plateaus has been replaced with the games now played on the frontons or the trinquets or other courts. Due to the influence of tourism, the urbanization and changes in Basque lifestyle, the games played with special objects, like joko garbi, chistera, sare or argentinian racket, pala, paleta, cesta punta, and rebota, have gained much fame. One such game, Jai Alai, has become internationally famous as a fast and enjoyable spectator sport as well as an opportunity to wager on the income.

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