In the early 19th Century, games involving rackets and balls were becoming very popular. Prisoners in the Fleet Prison in London got their exercise by hitting balls with rackets against a wall, starting the game known as "rackets".

"Rackets" was picked up by Harrow School and around the 1830s, students found that punctured balls would "squash" against a wall when hit with a racket.

This variation of the game "rackets" grew more and more popular and in 1864, Harrow School constructed its first squash courts and "Squash" was deemed an official sport