How many floodlights does a padel court need?

A padel court is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. How many floodlights you need depends mainly on how intensively the court is used: a recreational court at a campsite or tennis club needs less light than a court used for leagues or tournaments. In this article we explain how much light a padel court needs, how best to position the floodlights and how to work out the number of fittings yourself with a simple example.

How many lux does a padel court need?

The amount of light on the court is expressed in lux. For recreational play and training, 200 to 300 lux is enough. For club use and competition, 500 lux is the usual target, and for matches that are filmed or broadcast, 750 lux or more is common. Just as important as the amount of light is uniformity: the light should be roughly equally strong across the whole court, so that players can see the ball everywhere. A good court has no dark corners and no harsh bright spots.

The usual layout: four masts with two floodlights

On an outdoor court the floodlights are usually mounted on four masts, two on each long side of the court, just outside the glass walls. Each mast carries two floodlights, giving eight fittings in total. The masts are preferably 6 to 8 metres high. The higher the floodlights, the more even the light and the lower the risk of glare. Do not place floodlights behind the back walls, because players would then look straight into the light during a lob or smash.

Worked example for 500 lux

The court has an area of 200 square metres. For 500 lux you therefore need 200 times 500, which is 100,000 lumens on the court. Part of the light falls outside the court, and floodlights become slightly less bright over the years. In practice you therefore allow for about twice as many lumens from the fittings, roughly 200,000 lumens. Eight 150 watt floodlights that each give around 25,000 lumens reach that amount. For recreational use with 200 to 300 lux, four to six 150 watt floodlights are enough, or eight lighter 100 watt floodlights for a more even result.

What to look for when choosing floodlights

For outdoor courts, always choose floodlights rated at least IP65, so that rain and dust cannot get in, and with surge protection against voltage spikes during thunderstorms. A colour temperature of around 5000 Kelvin gives bright, neutral white light in which the ball is easy to see. An asymmetric or well-aimed lens keeps the light on the court and limits glare for players and neighbours. A high efficiency, such as 170 lumens per watt, keeps energy use low when the court is used on many evenings.

Indoor padel halls

In a padel hall the lighting hangs above the courts, usually at 8 to 10 metres. Long linear light lines along the length of the court or high bay fittings with an anti-glare lens are popular choices. Indoors, too, the light must be even and players must not look into a bright point of light when they look up.

Help with your court

Every court is slightly different: mast height, the distance to the glass walls and the surroundings together determine the best number of floodlights. Email the dimensions of your court, the intended mast height and how the court will be used to info@dimay.com and we will advise you on how many floodlights you need. Always have the installation carried out by a qualified electrician. Also see our LED padel lighting and read more about LED sports pitch lighting and how many lumens you need.

Frequently asked questions about padel lighting