When it comes to floodlights for your football field, there are several requirements that need to be considered. These are dependent on the level of AFL competition that will take place on the field and the related standards for lighting levels and lighting uniformity.
Key Australian standards which apply to sports lighting include:
Recent updates to AS 2560 have included considerations for uniformity gradient and glare control (GR) to improve the overall outcome of the installation.
The following table provides an overview of the floodlighting requirements for AFL and touch football.
AFL – AS 2560.2
|
Category |
Average horizontal maintained illuminance |
Minimum horizontal uniformity |
Maximum uniformity gradient |
Maximum glare rating |
|
|
Eh lux |
U1Min/Avg |
U2Min/Max |
UG (per 5m) |
GR |
|
|
|
|||||
|
Training |
50 |
0.3 |
N/A |
||
|
Match practice and competition |
100 (150*) |
0.5 |
0.3 (0.4*) |
2 |
50 |
|
|
|||||
|
Training |
50 |
0.5 |
N/A |
||
|
Match practice |
100 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
2 |
50 |
|
Semi-professional comp |
200 |
0.6 |
0.4 |
1.67 |
50 |
|
|
|||||
|
Training |
100 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
2 |
50 |
|
Match practice |
200 |
0.6 |
0.4 |
1.67 |
50 |
|
Professional comp |
500 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
1.33 |
50 |
*For amateur match practice and competition, there is a small print note in AS 2560.2 which is at times overlooked or not requested by clients and which states that 150 lux is the preferred lighting level (rather than 100 lux) for this level of the game. A higher U2Min/Max value of 0.4 is also recommended when installing a completely new floodlighting system for football.
Installing a new floodlighting system for AFL?
When installing a new floodlighting system for an AFL oval, there are further standards and guidelines to be considered.
With regards to pole locations suitable for football floodlights, please refer to AS 2560.2 figure 2.6.6 which advises possible locations depending on the direction of play of the oval. The height of the required poles will depend on the size of your field with clause 1.6 in AS 2560.2 being used to ensure glare to players and spectators will be reduced by adopting mounting heights above the minimum values recommended.
What do these terms mean?
As well as the information provided by the national standards, our team of lighting experts are available to answer any queries you may have about football floodlights and to support you through the planning and design stages of your sports lighting project. If you would like to discuss the floodlight requirements for your football oval with one of our experienced team members, please contact us by clicking here.
To find out more about how floodlights bring added benefits to a football club, click here for our article on how floodlights have increased activity at Moranbah Bulldogs AFC or take a look at this post from AFL Queensland.
Useful Links:
AFL Community Facilities Development
NSW Office of Sport – Outdoor Design
Queensland Government Sports Field Lighting – Get in the Game
Disclaimer:
The information provided on this page has been collated from various sources, including those provided above in Useful Links. This information may be subject to change at any time by sports governing bodies and standards agencies.
