INTRODUCING: topfives

Welcome to TopFives - a new kind of handball.

It's based on the ancient British game of Eton Fives, but is a nimbler version: the court is pre-fabricated, moveable, smaller and can fit in tiny spaces.

The court is groundbreaking in various ways: it’s just the top step (plus emblematic buttress) of a full Eton fives court (though you could argue it’s a return to the original in that respect), it’s modular, it’s made out of steel and cement board ... and it’s red.

It’s aimed squarely at schools and clubs (or people with back gardens) who want fives but don’t have the room or resources for a full size court.

The advantages of the court are: - its footprint is just 4m x 4m, so can be accommodated by space-poor venues - it's moveable, so it can be shifted around if the site is needed for something else - as a temporary or at least semi-permanent structure, the need for tricky and expensive planning permission is much reduced - its modular construction means it can be built off site and just winched into place, so installation disruption is minimal.

The game could be viewed as a new game in its own right, or as a training ground for the full version – it is to the game of Eton fives what padel is to tennis or a five-a-side football is to the 11-a-side version.

I think it provides a terrific court on which to enjoy bashing a ball about and hone hand-eye co-oordination. If you'd like your own court, it's yours for £25k (exact price will vary according to specification), ex-factory.

All enquiries to me, John Reynolds, at johnpatrickreynolds@yahoo.co.uk John Reynolds

Thanks to Jessye, Sze, Gwydion and Edwin for being the first to play on the court, and letting me film them for this video.

Thanks also to Spencer, for his enormous patience and generosity in allowing me to develop solutions and have the court assembled on his land over the summer months of 2025.

Thanks also to Michal, who actually did that testing, cutting and assembling.

Finally, this court was developed with the support of the Old Citizens Eton Fives Club, founded 1893, and its indefatigable chairman, David White.

JPR, November 2025