A game of pelote as played in Ustaritz

Basque pelota called Pelota in Spanish, pilota in Basque and Catalan, or pelote in French is the name for several sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket, against a wall or with two teams face to face separated by a line on the ground or a net. Their roots can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures, but in Europe they all come from real tennis (see Jeu de paume). Today, Basque Pelota is played in several countries: in Spain and France, specially in the Basque Country and its neighbour areas and in Latin American countries like Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Cuba and some parts of the United States.