The ball or pali, with which the Mapuche play palin, was initially extracted from the bulge of an oak tree, which had been torn from the trunk, then scraped and filed until it became a ball with which players pushed towards the opposing team's baseline to win a point.
It weighed about 80 grams and had a diameter of 6 to 7 centimeters, so a blow to the head could cause serious injuries. To avoid accidents, over time it was made of woolen thread, which was wound and hardened with baits to obtain greater consistency and resistance to moisture.
Traditionally, the ball was wrapped in huemul skin and buried next to the corpse of a konikō, because it was believed that in this way it acquired the speed of this small wild mouse. With the conquest of Spain, raw materials from cows and horses were introduced for its preparation, and for wrapping, llama and guanaco hair.

Source: https://www.museomapuchecanete.gob.cl/galeria/pali-y-weno-implementos-del-palin

Another essential tool in this competition is the weño, a wooden stick, obtained mainly from the bark of trees such as temo, lingue, hazelnut and boldo. Its production is carried out by the palif, who must give it the right inclination and bend so that it adapts to the body and ensures greater dexterity in its movements.

Source: https://www.museomapuchecanete.gob.cl/galeria/pali-y-weno-implementos-del-palin

The game begins when the stick is removed from the hole located in the center of the court. Once in action, each team must push the ball towards the opponent's baseline to score a point.
Each match was a great event that began with ceremonies, ritual preparations and food in the days before, and in which women, girls and boys, young people and the elderly from the host and visiting community actively participated.

In order to ensure their victory, the players or palife made their weño and then went to a dagunfe or healer, who applied ointments to the stick so that it came to life and resisted blows.
It was also common for them to go to the machi to ask who would win. If they got it right, they gained prestige, so they would stand on the opposite side of the team they supported and signal the pali to go in their direction and score points. This rite was known as Maichil Palin and was considered a sort of "barra sagrada".

Each player had a contender or kon who marked him during the match. This pair of rivals remained in the following matches, so that a bond was created between them that lasted and was strengthened in successive meals and rituals.
According to Carlos López, the ideal of the young Mapuche was to become a famous warrior and an outstanding palife, so from childhood they learned its rules and practiced it frequently.
The court could measure more than a kilometer, it was played barefoot and there were no goals, archers or referees. The objective was to advance the ball with a stick towards the opposing goal until it passed through the sector called stripes or txipal, which was equivalent to a score.
In case of a tie, the points won were lost and the game started from scratch. That is why the games could last up to three or four days, since a team only obtained victory if it scored four points in a row.
The occupation of the territory by the Chilean State had a profound impact on the palin, as it changed the physical space and the way the Mapuche lived together. The application of the Law of Establishment and Delivery of Land Titles altered the community lands, so the measurements of the court must now be adjusted to the lands owned by each community.
For example, in the Lumaco tournaments of 1980 and 1981, the paliwe was 180 meters long by 12 meters wide, while on other occasions spaces of 125x30, or 250x20, have been used.