The History of UK Racketball (Squash57) and Price of Bath’s Pioneering Role in Ball Innovation

Discover how UK Racketball, now known as Squash57, evolved - and why Price of Bath, Britain’s only racketball manufacturer, remains at the core of the sport’s development and innovation.

Racketball, now widely known as Squash57, has a rich history in the United Kingdom. It is a story of innovation, adaptation and passionate commitment to growing a sport that bridges the gap between squash and racquetball, and a story wherein Price of Bath lies at the very centre.

The journey began in 1976 when Ian Wright, an English referee officiating and lecturing in Canada, was introduced to the similarly named ‘racquetball’ sport. Returning to the United Kingdom and recognising that the original North American racquetball balls were too fast for British squash courts, Wright cleverly pierced the balls with a pin to slow them down, making the game playable on British squash courts. He envisioned racketball to encourage a larger demographic of people to use squash courts; this initiative was not just about a new game but preserving the squash court infrastructure in Britain.

In 1984, the British Racketball Association (BRA) was formed, with Wright playing a central role in managing, promoting, and producing coaching materials. The BRA adopted rules similar to squash but with a bouncing serve, no service line, and point-a-rally scoring to 15, making the game faster and easier to follow.

National championships started the same year, with doubles events following in 1986. The sport quickly gained traction, with larger-headed rackets and specially designed balls introduced to enhance play.

The Role of Price of Bath in Racketball’s Development.

From these early days, Price of Bath was integral to racketball’s development in Britain. The BRA quickly realised that the balls they imported were too lively and inconsistent from batch to batch, calling upon Price to produce a slower, more reliable ball.

Price, Britain’s only dedicated ball developer and producer, rose to this challenge. Using our decades of expertise since 1936, Price developed the balls that became the official balls for racketball; the competitive Black Double Dot for the expert player, and the Blue Racketball, suitable for casual and recreational play, which was a touch slower. This partnership was foundational: Price was there from the very beginning, helping shape the equipment that made the sport playable and enjoyable on squash courts.

As the game grew, the demand for other types of racketball with intermediate speed emerged. The SRA asked Price to develop a ball that would bridge the gap between the social blue ball and the faster black ball. This intermediate ball was adopted as the national tournament ball, while some top players still preferred the original black ball.

To distinguish the two black balls, J Price introduced the Price ‘Single Dot’© and Price ‘Double Dot’© balls. These variations offered players different levels of challenge, catering to improving and highly competitive players alike.

While others have attempted to produce cheaper alternatives abroad, none match the quality and consistency of Price’s balls—thanks to nearly nine decades of unmatched expertise.

Our most recent developments: Sqash57 and the Excel Balls

Of course, Price has continued its developments and improvements. In 2016, the World Squash Federation rebranded UK Racketball as Squash57, reflecting the 57mm diameter of the standard ball, and to distinguish it from the sport of ‘Racquetball’. With it came a wave of new equipment, new standards and, unfortunately, some confusion.

Despite the changes, Price has stayed focused on what players really needed: consistency and top quality performance. Most recently, the Price Excel ball has hit the market. The Black Excel is a competition speed ball with a lower bounce designed for Squash57 tournament play. This ball complies with ESR specification and is approved by the WSF, being specially designed for the squash court where most Squash57/Racketball is played currently. Lastly, we manufactured the White Excel, a ball with the same properties as the black, but with far higher visibility, an important feature as some Squash57 associations move towards glass courts to allow live streaming and bigger in-person audiences to watch the game!

Price Excel represents only one of two approved SQ57 balls for tournament play, being used most prominently in Scotland, Norway, America and Finland. Here, the White Excel has been noted to have been a “resounding success” by Petteri Repo of the Helsinki Squash Rackets Club, and that “the white ball was good for the sport and it was fun to play with” in the Finnish Squash57 2024 Nationals. It is currently lined up for use in New York’s Maspeth Squash Outdoor Big Ball this June.

These balls continue Price’s tradition of innovation, offering consistent and trusted performance while meeting the expectations of both long-time players and newcomers to Squash 57.

Our Legacy of Collaboration and Quality

Ian Wright’s vision to create a game accessible on squash courts, combined with J Price’s dedication to novel and quality ball development, has been critical in racketball’s/squash57’s enduring success and growth from an idea to a international reality. Over time, Price helped foster not only a sport, but a community that continues to grow and evolve.

Thus, the story of UK Racketball is one of innovation, quality craftsmanship, and passion, anchored firmly by the original partnership of Ian Wright and Price. Whatever the court or setting, one thing is certain: Price will be there, producing the full range of balls to satisfy every type of player and playing style.

Explore our full Squash57/Racketball range today here - trusted by tournament players and clubs alike for decades.