The easiest way I can describe this sport is “like Squash, but with your hands”.

I started playing Eton Fives at the tender age of 16, when I attended St. Olave’s school to study for my A-levels, and I couldn’t love the sport more.

Eton Fives is one derivative of the British game of Fives. It is played in doubles on a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball ‘up’ off the front wall. The shape of the court used in Eton Fives is taken from the chapel of Eton College. There are 3 walls and a 2 levels to the court – top and bottom step – with a ‘buttress’ halfway up the left hand wall. There is also a ledge at about chest height around the top step which the ball must hit above.

The sport has some simple rules: the ball must hit above the ledge; you are only allowed to return the ball with the gloves you wear; the ball is only allowed one bounce; and you can only hit the ball once to hit it up. You can only score a point if you are serving. When a pair reaches 11 points, the server of the pair must stand with at least one foot on the bottom step when they serve. They are only allowed to move when the ‘cutter’ has hit the ball. There are, however, other rules that you only really understand once you have played the game a few times.

There are a huge number of championships and tournaments that take place at various times throughout the Fives season. I try to take part in any I can get involved in. There are a lot more male competitions than female though, as our numbers are low compared to boys. This is because the courts in existence in England are mainly found in boys Public Schools. However, the number of women playing is increasing each year.

There are not many courts in England, most of them at Public Schools, but the Westway sports centre in London’s White City also has Fives courts, possibly steering Eton fives away from a minor sport. Courts are also found in certain parts of Europe, India, and Australia.

Eton Fives is a highly enjoyable, fast-paced, physical game. I usually find my body aches in places I never thought it could ache the next day and I hope to carry on playing the sport for many years to come.

Please visit www.etonfives.co.uk for more information.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 6:14 pm and is filed under Random Waffle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.