How to Illuminate a Padel Court?
Lighting is a crucial element in any sport, and padel is no exception. In this article, we explain how to properly illuminate a padel court and the current regulations to ensure optimal lighting for the playing area.
How to Illuminate a Padel Court
Proper lighting is essential for ensuring good visibility during a padel game. Most padel courts are illuminated with LED floodlights, which provide clear and efficient light. These lights should be strategically placed along each side of the court and outside the enclosures to ensure uniform light distribution and minimize potential glare.
LED floodlights are a highly convenient option for padel court lighting, as they can reduce energy consumption and costs by up to 50% compared to conventional lights. Additionally, LEDs require minimal maintenance, making them a recommended and quickly amortized investment.
One key aspect to consider in padel court lighting is glare prevention, as it can affect players’ visibility. In padel, where shots like smashes and lobs require players to look upward, reducing glare is crucial.
Padel Court Lighting Regulations
Padel court lighting must comply with regulations set by the International Padel Federation, specifically the UNE-EN 12193 standard, which governs the lighting of sports facilities in both qualitative and quantitative terms. This standard classifies lighting into three levels, adapted to different types of use and competition:
- Class I Lighting: Suitable for high-level competitions and events with spectators. For indoor courts, a lighting level of 750 lux with a uniformity of 0.7 is required. For outdoor padel courts, the standard is 500 lux with the same uniformity.
- Class II Lighting: Designed for mid-level competitions and high-performance training. Indoor courts should have lighting of 500 lux with a uniformity of 0.7, while outdoor courts require 300 lux with the same uniformity.
- Class III Lighting: Applicable to general sports facilities, suitable for lower-level competitions and recreational activities. Indoor courts need 300 lux with a uniformity of 0.5, and outdoor courts require 200 lux with a uniformity of 0.6
According to the regulations, the lighting columns must be located on the sides outside the court, respecting the safety zone. Additionally, the minimum height between the ground and the bottom of the light fixtures must be at least 6 meters.
Proper lighting is essential on padel courts as it ensures optimal visibility for players, prevents glare, and guarantees fair and safe playing conditions.
Competition-Level Padel Court Lighting
For competition-level padel courts, lighting must meet the standards of the International Padel Federation to ensure optimal visibility for both players and spectators. The minimum required lighting is 200 lux for outdoor padel courts, ensuring that the entire playing surface is well-lit at all times. Additionally, the lighting uniformity must be at least 0.7, meaning the variation in light intensity across different parts of the court should be minimal, providing a balanced visual environment.
TV-broadcasted competitions will require increasing lux levels thus adjust the color temperature and light direction. This helps to avoid excessive shadows and ensures that cameras capture sharp, high-contrast images, enhancing the viewing experience for spectators.
Padel Court Installation Specialists
At Padelgest, we offer a comprehensive padel court installation service that complies with the regulations and quality standards of the International Padel Federation. We design and manufacture padel courts in Barcelona and install them worldwide. Renowned competitions like the World Padel Tour have trusted the quality of our courts.
We install custom padel courts that not only meet the highest technical standards but also align with your vision and budget. Whether for a private or sports facility, we help you bring your project to life. Contact us so we can design a tailored solution for you.
