It’s a question that squash has been asking itself for the last 30 years: how can we revive declining participation in the world’s clubs? Only recently has it dawned on our sport’s leaders that an answer may be right under our noses.
Racketball (or Squash 57, if you insist) is a version of squash played with a bouncier ball, a shorter racket and at a slightly slower pace.
It is easier on the body, easier for beginners to pick up and enjoy rallies and can be played in doubles format. In short, it has all the attributes that are currently catapulting padel towards world domination. And there is ready-made infrastructure to host it at every squash venue in the world.
This more accessible version of our sport is playable at any age and standard, can boost court occupation at clubs and extend the playing careers of older squash players. What’s not to love?
Well, a lot, if the decades of wilful ignorance at federation level are anything to go by. But, there are recent signs that squash’s stakeholders are finally willing to harness racketball’s dormant potential.
Take last week’s launch of Squash57Levels. It is hoped that this adapted version of the hugely popular SquashLevels will help deepen players’ engagement in competitive racketball and feel part of the sport’s community.
Jethro Binns, founder and co-CEO of LevelTech, who launched Squash57Levels, said: “[Racketball] gives squash a fighting chance to sit alongside the likes of padel and pickleball in the accessibility conversation.
“It’s already got traction in the UK and parts of Europe, but there’s real global potential. We believe Squash57Levels can be a big part of unlocking that.”
Mike Harris, Head of UK Racketball, runs a year-long series of 10 one-day competitions around the country, plus Inter-County Championships, National Championships and the British Racketball Open. This year’s Open took place in early October in Sheffield and had over 200 entrants, up from 170 last year.
Harris said: “Our competitive series is thriving, but what the game needs is exactly what Squash 57 Levels has provided, which is that level underneath regular tournament play to get more people invested in the game.
“SquashLevels has worked so well at club level and even helps get beginners into the game. It makes people feel that, regardless of their playing ability, they are part of something.
“The UK Racketball Series is the tip of the iceberg, allowing people to compete at a level above club play. I’m really excited to have Squash 57 Levels as a new system to help build grassroots participation and competition.”
The 2025 British Racketball Open, which had to be spread across Hallamshire and Fulwood squash clubs to accommodate extra entrants, featured a group of 10 players who travelled from Finland, including ex-world no.35 squash player Henrik Mustonen. Finland is hosting its inaugural Open tournament next May.
This year also saw the first Racketball Home Internationals, sponsored by Price of Bath, with England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey teams competing across Open men’s and women’s plus 40+, 50+, 60+ and 70+ age categories. Next year’s event will expand to include Guernsey, Gibraltar and potentially Finland.
Perhaps most significantly of all, global governing body World Squash is starting to make good on a long-term promise of providing proper support to Squash 57.
Lolly Gillen, Secretary General of the Pan American Squash Federation, is a huge advocate of Squash 57 and is spearheading efforts to organise regional individual and team racketball championships in all continents.
She showed the others how it’s done by organising the inaugural Pan American Squash 57 Championships in 2024 — the first regional Squash 57 championship in the world. The 2025 edition was held in Bolivia in May.
Efforts are under way to engage and mobilise the European, Asian and Oceania federations into holding their own sanctioned continental individual and team championships too.
With genuine momentum now coming from the top and bottom of the squash hierarchy, racketball’s potential may soon be unlocked, to the great benefit of the big- and small-ball versions of the game.
