Illuminating Excellence:
The art of sports lighting & trends for future games
BY JOHNNY LAM, ROGER LAW & JOSEPH LAI
Behind every breathtaking display of athletic prowess lies an unsung hero: the art of lighting. The unique realm of sports lighting is distinct from general lighting and emerging trends that will shape future games.
The unique role of sports lighting
Sports lighting is a specialized branch of illumination that transcends general and task lighting. Its objectives include enhancing athlete performance, ensuring safety, and enriching the viewing experience for audiences and broadcasters. General and task lighting primarily focus on certain planes or objects, while sports lighting usually addresses the three-dimensional volume above and the field of play.
For instance, lighting for high-speed outdoor track events must ensure that athletes are visible to judges and viewers while minimizing glare and shadows. In contrast, indoor sports like gymnastics need lighting that highlights grace and precision without distractions. Sports such as badminton and table tennis present unique challenges: athletes often look upward, risking exposure to bright light sources. Swimming pool lighting must be meticulously planned to prevent reflections and glare on the water surface, ensuring clear visibility for athletes and spectators. Each sport demands a tailored approach to optimize both performance and aesthetics, meeting the needs of athletes and spectators across different environments.
Sports lighting design
In the realm of sports lighting, both horizontal and vertical illuminance levels are fundamental, with standards set between 650 and over 1,500 lux, often paired with higher color temperatures for enhanced short wavelengths. These lighting conditions extend beyond mere visibility, profoundly influencing physiological responses, notably within the hypothalamus, thus boosting cognitive functions, alertness and reaction speeds while reducing error rates. For spectators, sports lighting creates a natural viewing experience. Glare, a common byproduct of high luminance, demands rigorous management to prevent perceptual disturbances that could compromise both performance and safety. The design of sports lighting systems is tailored on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the specific characteristics of each sport.
Semi-outdoor sports lighting — Football pitches
FIFA – the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the governing body of world soccer – establishes the gold standard for semi-outdoor sports lighting. Its lighting guide categorizes requirements for venues in which broadcast of live events is required into four classes. Class A is reserved for premier events like the FIFA World Cup, and Class B for Olympic tournaments. These standards ensure precise vertical illuminance from multiple perspectives — 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees — with a minimum adjacent uniformity ratio mandated above 0.6 and a maximum of 10 failure points allowable in a 96-point test grid. Uniformity is defined by two metrics: U1 (minimum to maximum illuminance) and U2 (minimum to average illuminance) for both horizontal and vertical planes. Moving away from traditional four-corner towers or columns, which often cast harsh shadows, modern practices advocate the use of multiple light sources strategically positioned around the pitch to soften shadows and reduce glare. This glare-control technique is further optimized by restricting the maximum focus angle of light to no more than 60 degrees perpendicular to the pitch, a standard readily achieved with advanced LED luminaires. This progressive approach not only aligns with rigorous international standards but also significantly enhances visual clarity, directly benefiting player performance and enriching the spectator experience. FIFA allows a maximum glare rating of 50, while the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) uses a glare evaluation system (CIE 112-1994) with ratings (RG) from 10 to 90, where lower ratings indicate less glare. This approach enhances visual clarity, benefiting player performance and enriching the spectator experience.
Figure 1. Floodlight focus angle
Indoor sports lighting — Badminton
Badminton is a high-speed racquet sport in which shuttlecocks (or birdies) can reach speeds exceeding 400 km/h. During play, moves such as a jump smash near the baseline’s corner send the shuttlecock across the court in less than 0.13 second — a duration that can be even shorter in competitive settings. Players need to swiftly locate and predict the shuttlecock’s trajectory to respond effectively within this narrow time frame. This is why shuttlecocks are commonly crafted with white feathers or a white plastic skirt to maximize light reflectance, helping players clearly see what they are striking.
The flight path of the shuttlecock typically arcs above the net, reaching heights of 7 to 9 meters or even higher. Players frequently need to look upward, making it essential to avoid glare from overhead lighting while ensuring sufficient vertical illuminance throughout the playing volume. To further visibility, lighting behind the court is often dimmed to create a contrasting background, similar to techniques used in fencing competitions, thus aiding players in clearly perceiving targets against a less illuminated backdrop.
Figure 2. Lighting for badminton court
Indoor sports lighting — Swimming
Swimming events pose unique lighting challenges not encountered in other sports, primarily due to the reflective nature of water. This reflectivity, governed by the angle of incidence, can significantly impact both competitors and spectators, particularly those seated at lower levels in the stadium, who may struggle to clearly see swimmers or objects on the water surface. To minimize glare and reflections that detract from the viewing experience, it is crucial to maintain an appropriate lighting angle relative to the water surface.
Like badminton, overhead lighting should be avoided for swimming pools to control glare, which is especially critical for backstroke swimmers. Optimal luminaire placement along the long edges of the pool, positioned to the sides rather than directly above, greatly enhances visibility. This setup prevents blinding glare, benefiting backstroke swimmers and others during their laps. Modal dispersion may help ensure uniform illumination across the entire water volume, thus enhancing both safety and performance. Additionally, it is advisable to use corrosion-resistant and water-resistant lighting fixtures to ensure durability and minimize maintenance; details on the fixtures’ long-term performance refer to the TM-21 report.
Figure 3. Light reflection on water surface
Novel applications in sports lighting
The domain of sports lighting is undergoing a transformation, characterized by innovative applications that elevate both performance and spectator experiences. At the forefront is the optimization of fixture photometry, where cutting-edge technologies like asymmetrical reflector control and side-shift beam systems ensure that illumination is precisely directed to where it is most effective.
In addition, the incorporation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represents a transformative approach to post-installation assessments during the commissioning or maintenance period. These UAVs facilitate 3D evaluations, providing comprehensive overviews that streamline the assessment process and allow for precise adjustments prior to final installation. This technological integration not only improves accuracy but also enhances the overall efficiency of lighting installations.
Figure 4. Light measurement using UAV
The pursuit of superior broadcast quality is also driving novelties in color optimization and standards. Color Rendering Index (CRI), rated from 0 to 100 (Ra), evaluates a light source's ability to accurately reproduce a set of eight color samples crucial for human perception. An extended version of CRI considers 15 colors, including R9 (red), which impacts skin tones, measured as Re. Enhancing this framework, the Television Lighting Consistency Index (TLCI) measures how light interacts with three-chip cameras using 18 colors, providing improved accuracy. The TM-30 standard further refines this by analyzing 99 color samples to measure color fidelity (Rf) and color gamut (Rg), ranging from 60 to 140. In 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced the Spectral Similarity Index (SSI), a 100-point scale that quantitatively compares a light source's spectrum to a desired reference source. This novel approach elevates understanding of light quality, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable in sports and broadcast lighting.
A bright future
The future of sports lighting is bright, with innovative trends set to transform both viewing and playing experiences. Central to this evolution is an athlete-centric approach that prioritizes performance while enhancing spectator enjoyment, ensuring effective lighting solutions are readily achievable.
Advancements in optical design, UAV-assisted light assessments and color optimization are paving the way for adaptive lighting systems. These systems will dynamically respond to varying conditions: weather, time of day or specific event needs. By integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technology, centralized control will enable real-time adjustments, transforming lighting into an immersive experience that enhances the atmosphere and interacts with crowd energy.
With the 2028 Summer Olympics, there are unique opportunities to design lighting for new sports such as baseball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, squash and softball. New benchmarks will be set that will guide facility managers in creating optimal environments for athletes and fans alike, paving the way for a transformative future in sports lighting.