In squash, a court with walls made of hard plaster or cement rather than softer materials, affecting ball bounce and gameplay.
From 'hard' (Old English heard) + 'wall' (Old English weall, from Latin vallum meaning rampart). The compound emerged in squash terminology to distinguish court construction types.
Hardwall courts were the international standard for squash for decades, but they proved treacherous—the ball bounced unpredictably and could ricochet dangerously, leading to the development of softer 'softwall' courts that made the sport safer and more playable.
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