Squash grew from a game played against prison walls

How a prison wall became part of the game

At Fleet Prison in 19th-century London, inmates turned a confined space into a playing area. Instead of needing a large court, they could strike a ball against a wall and play its rebound. The ball was punctured rubber, making it softer and less lively than a solid ball: it compressed on impact and did not spring away as sharply.

That change mattered. A slower rebound gave players more time to react in a cramped area, while the walls kept the ball in play. The setting was not just a backdrop; it helped shape the game’s basic rhythm.

From improvised play to a sport

The game that grew from this kind of wall play became known as squash, a name associated with the ball’s tendency to flatten, or “squash,” when struck. Over time, players used racquets and the informal pastime developed into a more organized sport, with dedicated courts and agreed rules.

The transition changed the experience without removing its central idea: players send the ball to a wall, then try to make its return difficult for an opponent. A prison’s limits helped produce a game whose defining feature is that the walls are always part of the play.