Soccer Field Lighting: Lux Classes, Pole Layouts and LED Floodlight Counts

Lit football pitches can be used every evening of the year, which doubles or triples their value for clubs, schools and municipalities. LED has made pitch lighting cheaper to run and easier to control, with instant switching between training and match levels.

Pitch sizes

Light levels

From EN 12193 for outdoor football:

Many clubs light training pitches to 100–200 lux even when 75 lux would meet Class III, for better visibility. Televised stadiums follow FIFA and broadcaster requirements for vertical illuminance, which are much higher; see our LED stadium lights guide.

Pole layouts

Keep poles out of the zone behind and beside the goals, so goalkeepers and attacking players are not looking into floodlights. Side-mounted layouts give better uniformity and less glare than four corner masts.

Estimating the number of floodlights

Lumen method: lumens needed ≈ lux × area ÷ (utilisation factor × maintenance factor).

Full-size pitch, 105 × 68 m = 7,140 m², utilisation about 0.6, maintenance 0.8:

Allowing for uniformity and aiming losses, real designs are often 10–40% above these figures. For example, a 200 lux club pitch might use 24–32 fittings of 1,000 W on four or six poles.

Small-sided pitch, 40 × 20 m = 800 m², 200 lux: about 330,000 lm, roughly 2.5–3.5 kW, often 8 × 300–400 W on 8–10 m poles.

For pole heights and layouts at larger venues, see the LED stadium lights guide.

Floodlights

• Full-size pitches: 500–1,500 W fittings with narrow to medium beams (25–60°) on high poles. Our heat-pipe stadium floodlights cover 200–1,500 W with 25°, 40°, 60° and 90° reflectors and IP67 housings.
• Small-sided pitches: 200–400 W asymmetric fittings kept nearly flat. Our modular sports floodlights are made for five-a-side courts and school fields.

Spill and glare

Pitches are often next to homes. To reduce complaints:

• Use asymmetric optics or visors to cut light above the horizontal
• Keep aiming angles low
• Add rear shields on poles facing houses
• Check light at the nearest windows in the design
• Switch off at a fixed time

Controls

• Scene levels: training (for example 75–100 lux), match (200 lux), maintenance (low)
• Instant restart: LED needs no warm-up after a power cut
• Remote control or app: switch from the clubhouse
• Timers linked to bookings

Training at a lower level than match lighting halves energy use for most of the week.

Poles and foundations

High poles carry large wind loads from the floodlights and crossarms. Foundations must be designed for local wind speeds and soil. For very high masts with raising systems, see high mast lighting.

Converting from metal halide

Many pitches still use 1,500–2,000 W metal halide floodlights. LED fittings of 800–1,200 W usually replace them one-for-one with better uniformity, if poles and crossarms are reused. Check aiming with a new photometric design rather than copying old angles.

Running costs

A 200 lux pitch with 28 kW of LED used 3 hours a night, 250 nights a year, uses about 21,000 kWh, roughly US$3,150 a year at US$0.15/kWh. Training at half power on most nights reduces this further.

Multi-use pitches and artificial turf

Artificial turf pitches are used almost every evening, often split into several small-sided pitches. Plan the lighting so each third or half of the pitch can be switched on separately, with uniform light across each section. Pole positions should suit both the full pitch and the smaller layouts.

School and community fields

Schools and community fields often combine football, athletics and other sports. Lighting for training levels (75–150 lux) with good uniformity is usually enough. Poles placed outside the running track avoid conflicts with athletics. Keep switching simple, with timers so lights are not left on overnight.

Maintenance

Clean floodlight glass every year or two, check aiming after storms and record aiming angles. Inspect crossarms, bolts and cable entries at the top of poles, which need a lift or a climbing team. Choose fittings with long warranties to reduce work at height.

Ordering

Send the pitch size, level of play, existing poles if any, and distance to nearby homes. We will propose floodlights, a pole layout and a photometric estimate.