In a time when sport is often all about money and big business, it is good to find a game that has barely changed since its creation, nearly two centuries ago.
The rules of fives are similar to squash apart from when the ball hits the buttress. If you fail to hit the ball above the ledge around the court, you lose the point. Like squash, you can only score when you’re serving.
Players wear padded leather gloves since the ball is quite hard. It is only played as a "doubles" game - two teams of two players. It’s a game of honour and with no umpire or referee, the players must confess their own fouls. Not only is it an extremely fast game, but also one of great skill.
Unlike most other sports, it is thought left-handers have a sneaky advantage owing to the design of the court. Better still, the ambidextrous players have an advantage over both, since shots can be played with either hand.
8 янв 2018
