Fives in the UK

As you may know the domestic UK version of ‘wallball’ is called Fives. There are several codes of the sport including the popular Eton Fives (a 3-wall game) and Rugby Fives (a 4-wall game). Since we don’t have international 3- and 4-wall courts in the UK yet, we encourage any and all wallball enthusiasts to give Fives a go! Each sport requires a different set of skills and the top players from Team GB have mastered several wallball codes over the years to maximally improve their game.

Eton Fives (3-wall)

In the 17th Century at Eton College, students played a game while waiting for chapel involving hitting a ball against the wall. It became a success that soon became a nationwide sport with courts based on the chapel’s architecture up and down the country. In keeping with the chapel, the standard Eton Fives court has three walls and a plethora of ledges, buttresses and a step on court. The game is always played in doubles, and precision, skill and touch are key faculties to master. The ball is white or yellow, is made of cork and is very light, which means it bounces quite high and can be spun with ease. The game is fun and complex, but unlike One-Wall handball is not readily accessible.
Visit the official Eton Fives site here.

Rugby Fives (4-wall)

Rugby Fives, first played at Rugby School, is essentially squash with your hands, but far quicker. Different from Eton Fives, it sees all obstacles removed, a back wall added and a lower line to hit the ball above. The ball is almost like a mini baseball and pings around the court at tremendous speed. Thick padded gloves are essential for this fast and furious game!
Visit the official Rugby Fives site here.