Basque pelota by men. This allows championship play at the international level, and allows the participation of players and teams from around the world using the same rules. There is, however, criticism about this, since purists might argue that some of the original traits of each particular modality could be lost. Even with protection, accidents do happen. With the ball easily travelling at , pelota can kill if safety equipment is not used properly or at all; while rare, occasional deaths do occur. The origin of this sport is tied to the decline of the ancient jeu de paume (jeu de paume
Basque Pelota World Championships Basque Pelota World Championships The Basque Pelota World Championships is a quadrennial tournament first organized in 1952 by the International Federation of Basque Pelota. The modern championships crowns the best amateur players in fifteen different playing categories. The first edition of the tournament was organized in 1952, and until 1958 was played every three years. The tournament has occurred every four years since then. No third place titles were awarded during the first five editions of the tournament. Additionally, the number of disciplines disputed at each tournament has varied depending on the edition, and has even included disciplines played on