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Football Pitch Lighting Guide: What lighting levels do you need

Written by James Brunt, Director of Sports | Sep 22, 2020 10:54:00 AM

Football Pitch Lighting Guide: Requirements in the UK

 

The requirements for Football Pitch Lighting can differ significantly based on the geographical location of a club and the competitive level at which it participates. Clubs situated in different regions or playing in various leagues may be subject to distinct lighting standards.

 

The Football Association (FA) has its own rules. As do the Scottish Football Association (SFA), and the Football Association of Wales (FAW). These rules are designed to maintain a consistent standard of lighting across all clubs within their jurisdiction.

 

All clubs in each of these associations playing at a premier level are governed by the Union of European Associations (UEFA) regulations.

 

In this article we will break down the regulations for each association.

 

Terms you need to know

 

The two main metrics used to grade lighting here are lux and uniformity. 

  • Lux – A measure of the intensity of light that hits a surface. The higher the lux, the brighter the light.
  • Uniformity – The uniformity of illuminance in terms of how evenly light is distributed over a given surface. The higher the figure, the more evenly light is spread.

Other terms you will see used: 

  • Eave – average horizontal illuminance

  • Emin/Emax – calculation of illuminance uniformity

  • Colour temperature: is a scale that measures how 'warm' (yellow) or 'cool' (blue) the light from a particular source is
 

The Football Association Floodlighting Regulations

 
Tier Lux Level Uniformity 
Grade A (Step 1) Conference 250 lux 0.25
Grade B (Step 2) 180 lux 0.25
Grades C to G (Steps 3-6) 120 lux to 180 lux 0.25

In this chart Grade G is the lowest level and Grade A the highest. 

This Chart is from the FA Guide to Floodlighting Regs: see the full guide here.

 

Premier League LED Floodlight Fund

Under the Premier League Stadium LED Floodlight Fund the requirements from The Football Foundation require a minimum lighting level of 200 Lux, with a uniformity value of 0.60. 

https://footballfoundation.org.uk/premier-league-stadium-fund-led-floodlight-specification

 

The Scottish FA Regulations

 
Gold

The following minimum levels apply:

  • Average – 800 lux
  • Min/Max – 0.4

In the case of a Platinum Award, the floodlighting lux level is required to be:

  • Average – 1,200 lux
  • Min/Max – 0.45

Furthermore to meet the Platinum standard the club will be able to provide a back-up power supply which will provide two-thirds of normal power.
Silver

The following minimum levels apply:

  • Average – 500 lux
  • Min/Max – 0.3
Bronze

The following minimum levels apply:

  • Average – 300 lux
  • Min/Max – 0.25
Entry

It is recommended  that the following minimum levels apply:

  • Average – 200 lux
  • Min/Max – 0.25

Clubs must be able to evidence that matches have been played under the floodlights, to the satisfaction of match officials, within the last year.

Where a relevant body or league raises concerns regarding the suitability of a floodlight system, it will be a matter for the Licensing Committee to determine whether the system meets the terms of the Entry level criteria

This information is from page 33 of the Scottish FA Club licensing manual 2025

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/12489/scottish-fa-club-licensing-manual-2025.pdf

 

The Scottish FA Light Testing Regulations

Survey Frequency:

  • For SPFL Premiership clubs, floodlight surveys will be conducted annually.
  • For clubs outside of the SPFL Premiership, but applying at Bronze, Silver or Gold levels, surveys will be conducted every second year.

Survey Method:

  • The survey involves taking 88 readings across the pitch, using an 8 x 11 grid, from touchline to touchline and goal line to goal line.
 Supplier and Cost:
  • The surveys will be carried out by a Scottish FA approved floodlight surveyor that hasn’t carried out work for the club within the past five years.
  • The Scottish FA will cover the cost of the initial survey.
  • If the floodlighting system does not meet the required standard as per the level of the club’s application, the club will be responsible  for arranging and paying for any subsequent re-tests, using a Scottish FA approved supplier

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) Floodlighting Regulations

 
Category Lux Uniformity
Tier 1 500 lux N/A
Tier 2 250 lux N/A
Tier 3 250 lux N/A

 

The Welsh FA Light Testing Regulations:

  • Light Levels must be tested by an independent organisation.
  • Licence Applicants Must provide a report stating the lux value, which must be no more than two years old.
  • The report Must be a 96-point lighting test.
  • The FAW may at any time, request a 96-point lighting test to determine the current LUX levels of the floodlights if their lux level is considered to be too low by the FAW and/or the host broadcaster 
 

UEFA Floodlighting Regulations

The UEFA updated their floodlighting guide in 2023 to reflect LED Floodlights. The guide offers comprehensive technical details and advice on stadium floodlighting for football. It updates the 2016 edition, incorporating minor adjustments to lighting requirements and adding new design guidance.

 
  Lux Level
(average horizontal illuminance)		 Colour temperature

Uniformity

(U1h)
Elite level A 2,000 Lux 5,000–6,200K >0.50
Level A 1,500 Lux 5,000–6,200K >0.50
Level B 1,400 Lux 5,000–6,200K >0.50
Level C 1,200 Lux 4,200–6,200K >0.40
Level D 800 Lux 4,200–6,200K >0.40

 

 

UEFA Light Testing Regulations:

UEFA requires illuminance tests to check if stadium floodlighting meets their standards, especially for venues that might host televised matches. These tests must be carried out by qualified personnel using a properly calibrated illuminance meter.
 

Key Points:

  • Who performs the test? Only qualified personnel with the correct, recently calibrated equipment.
  • How is the test done?
    • The pitch is divided into 96 points in a grid.
    • Readings are taken at each point for horizontal illuminance (facing upwards) and vertical illuminance (from four angles: 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°).
    • A total of 480 measurements are recorded.
  • Equipment Requirements:
    • The illuminance meter must be suitable for floodlighting and recalibrated annually.
    • Readings must be taken 1 metre above the playing surface.
    • Shadows from personnel must be avoided during measurement.

All results must be recorded correctly using UEFA’s official test report template and submitted as required.

 

For more information on football lighting, see our football floodlights page

 

Other Football Lighting content you may like:

Football Floodlights: How much do they really cost?

Finding Football Floodlighting Funding

Midstream Lighting: preferred supplier to the PLSF

 

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