Introducing ‘Lighting for Sports’. This easy-to-follow series will guide you through the fundamentals of lighting many sports locations including – football, athletics, tennis and more… This edition places a focus on football, the standards and how Kingfisher Sport can assist you along the way.

 

When lighting your football pitch or stadium, the key point is to ensure both players and spectators have visual clarity. Players need to be able to navigate around the pitch without glare from the light sources as well as a clear view of the whole pitch with uniform lighting levels.

Similarly, spectators need to be able to view their favourite teams while experiencing visual comfort and true to live colour rendering. For any televised events, flicker rate is one of the key considerations to ensure a smooth broadcast in HD. 

By following guidance from the two main governing bodies – the FA (Football Association Standards) and British Standards, your scheme will benefit from detailed information on how to light your pitch for different levels of play and the lux levels required.

Below, you will find an explanation into each standard with details such as lux levels glare ratings and the different levels of play.

BS EN 12193 (British Standards)

This standard is divided into five categories - International and National, Regional, Local, Training, Recreation/School Sports. These all sit within 3 lighting classes –

• Class 1 (International and National, Regional, Local)
• Class 2 (Regional, Local, Training)
• Class 3 (Local, Training, Recreational/School Sports)

From the above you can see some of the locations overlap, so it is crucial to know your specification so you can work to the class stated. The table below demonstrates the specific requirements for the classes.

 

The FA Standards (The Football Association)

Approaching the FA Standards is more complex than BS EN 12193, this is because it features more categories such as UEFA, Championship, League 1 and 2, the FA and FAW. Then each category falls into different levels of play which can be from 4 – 1 or platinum to entry. See the table below for the specific requirements.

 

The Kingfisher Sport Team guide you through the ins and outs of all the relevant standards and considerations and offer end-to-end lighting solutions for everything from grassroots clubs to stadium set ups. We can design, supply, install, commission and help maintain your site.

The expert team will begin with an initial site audit to assess all needs for both pre-existing and new equipment and locations. They will evaluate the best lighting solution for your site from the Kingfisher Sport product range.

After a product has been selected, the lighting design team will focus on producing energy efficient schemes to boast performance and power atop of considering surrounding environments and the alleviation of obtrusive light.

Once the design is signed off, we will proceed to getting your equipment to site and installation scheduled. The Kingfisher Fleet will safely travel to your location and the fully qualified team will assist with using specialist hi-ab equipment to ensure easy and safe offloading.

Once the Kingfisher Sport and High Mast Installation team have installed and commissioned all equipment, a maintenance plan will be prepared to ensure you get the best quality system and prolong the lifetime.

Watch this space in the coming months as we’ll be discussing lighting for athletics, hockey, rugby and more.

Start your lighting journey by calling the team to set up a consultation on 01623 703109.