Sports Lighting Solutions
Whatever your sporting passion Abacus have the perfect sports lighting solution for your club or facility. Matching today’s requirements and your future ambitions.
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GUIDE TO SPORTS LIGHTING LEVELS
Lighting levels for exterior Sports Lighting are considerably lower than daylight levels and usually lower than for the same sport played indoors. This is because there is generally greater subject contrast outdoors, with a dark sky backdrop, giving good adaptation levels. Illuminance levels are dependent upon the difficulty of the visual task.
In general, fast action, a small playing object (cricket ball) and long viewing distance will require high lighting levels. A slower speed, larger playing object (football) and closer viewing distance will require lower lighting levels. Exterior Sports Lighting is provided to achieve either Supervised Training, Club, National, International or CTV coverage.
Various Lighting Guides and Lighting Specifications are available, recommending appropriate illuminance levels for individual Sports. In addition many Sports Governing Bodies also provide separate specific lighting requirements.
Within Europe, a European Standard also exists covering minimum Sports Lighting Levels
EN 12193:2007.
Most recommendations of individual sports lighting levels are divided into classes of play:
- Class I - Top Level Competition.
- Class II - Intermediate Level Competition.
- Class III - Lower Level Competition & Supervised Training.
Lighting for CTV broadcasting has specific requirements and recommendations (
CIE No.83:1989). The table below provides a selection of recommended lighting levels for principle sports.
Whilst every endeavour is undertaken to provide accurate information, Abacus Lighting recommended that the relevant Sports Guides and Standards or the appropriate individual Sport Governing body be consulted to ensure full compliance with requirements.
: Lighting specifications for locations outside UK may differ from those stated on this web site.
Recommendations of Minimum Lighting Levels (Table 1)
|
Sport
|
Illuminance Level
(Em. Horizontal) Lux *
(Non CTV)
|
Glare
Rating
(GR)
|
Illuminance Level
(Em. Vertical) Lux
CTV Broadcast **
|
|
Class I
|
Class II
|
Class III
|
Maximum camera shooting distance
|
|
Em
Lux
|
Uo
Min/ave
|
Em
Lux
|
|
Em
Lux
|
|
I
|
II
|
III
|
50m
|
100m
|
150m
|
|
Em.v
Lux
|
Em.v
Lux
|
Em.v
Lux
|
|
Athletics
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.5
|
50
to
100
|
0.5
|
50
|
55
|
55
|
480
|
640
|
800
|
|
Baseball
|
In Fld
Out Fld
|
750
500
|
0.7
0.5
|
500
300
|
0.7
0.5
|
300
200
|
0.5
0.3
|
50
50
|
50
50
|
55
55
|
900
680
|
1280
920
|
1600
1150
|
|
Basketball
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Bowls(Flat Green)
|
300
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.7
|
100
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
50
|
480
|
640
|
800
|
|
Cricket Grounds
|
Sq
Field
|
750
500
|
0.7
0.5
|
500
300
|
0.7
0.5
|
300
200
|
0.5
0.3
|
50
50
|
50
50
|
55
55
|
900
680
|
1280
950
|
1600
1150
|
|
Equestrian
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.7
|
100
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
480
|
640
|
800
|
|
Football(soccer)
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Football(American)
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Hockey
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.7
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Horse Racing
|
200
|
0.6
|
100
|
0.4
|
50
|
0.2
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
480
|
640
|
800
|
|
Netball
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Rugby
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Tennis
|
500
|
0.7
|
300
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
|
Volleyball
|
500
|
0.7
|
200
|
0.6
|
75
|
0.5
|
50
|
50
|
55
|
680
|
920
|
1150
|
* Em is the Maintained Illuminance Level (specification level) and is the Design illuminance level, below which the lighting should not be allowed to fall during the period to planned maintenance.
*
* CTV (Em. vertical) lighting levels incorporate a multiple of design illuminance uniformity checks; for further information see
CIE No.83.
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