I have visited the ball courts at Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Palenque. Those stone rings are so high it would have been impossible to put the ball through the hole

I have visited the ball courts at Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Palenque. Those stone rings are so high it would have been impossible to put the ball through the hole with only one's feet. I couldn't even toss my shoe through the ring using my hands. I suspect there was a thick layer of earth to raise the level of the field, which would have put the players on a closer level to the stone rings.