Baseline sightlines
Keep the most visible luminaires away from dominant player viewing directions where possible.
Sports & Venue Lighting
Tennis & Padel Court Lighting
Court lighting built around player sightlines, lower mounting heights, uniform ball visibility and controlled spill toward neighboring properties.
Tennis Reference23.77 × 10.97 m doubles
playing court
Padel Reference20 × 10 m enclosed
court
MountingPerimeter poles / court
structures at relatively low height
Critical ReviewPlayer glare, vertical
ball visibility, glass/fence reflections and neighbor impact
Project Context
Design the lighting around how the venue is actually used.
High-quality sports lighting is a system result. Geometry, source positions, optics, controls, environmental limits and commissioning all influence the final experience.
Court sports place players close to the luminaires and repeatedly direct their eyes upward toward a fast-moving ball. This makes source position and glare control especially important. For padel, glass walls and mesh fencing can further affect perceived brightness and reflections.
Single-court, double-court and large club installations should not use the same pole logic. Multi-court sites need to consider cross-court glare and whether one pole serves more than one court. Nearby residential buildings, hotel rooms or public roads may also drive visor and aiming decisions.
The aim is not simply to achieve a high average. Good court lighting should keep the ball and court lines visible across both baselines, reduce bright hotspots and preserve visual comfort when players look upward.
ZC project approach: use the actual site drawing and target criteria to select products, optics, quantity, aiming and compatible controls. Product wattage is an input to the calculation—not the starting answer.
Geometry, Mounting & Aiming
Source position and beam direction determine the quality of the installation.
The same luminaire can perform very differently when pole height, setback, aiming angle or observer direction changes.
Club environment combining tennis and padel courts, illustrating lower mounting heights, player sightlines and enclosure constraints.
Tennis and padel should be reviewed separately: pole positions, fence / glass clearance and player-glare directions are not interchangeable.
Typical reference only. Final pole quantity, mounting height, aiming
angles, optical distribution and fixture quantity should be confirmed by photometric
calculation, structural conditions and the applicable project requirements.
Pole spacing
Coordinate pole positions with court dimensions, fences, gates and circulation areas.
Multi-court sharing
Shared poles can reduce infrastructure but require careful cross-aiming and independent court zoning.
Glass / fencing
Padel walls and metal mesh can change reflections and perceived contrast; verify at night after installation.
Lighting Performance
Review more than average horizontal lux.
A complete review considers playability, visual adaptation, camera or spectator needs and the effect of the lighting outside the venue.
Court illuminance
Set according to recreation, club, competition or broadcast use.
Use the actual court and run-off grid.
Uniformity
Important for reading ball speed across the full court.
Avoid bright service boxes and dark baselines.
Vertical visibility
Supports tracking of a ball above eye height.
Review along player viewing directions.
Glare
Lower mounting height increases visible-source risk.
Source location, visor and optics all matter.
Spill light
Often a planning issue for clubs near homes/hotels.
Check boundary and window points.
Color/flicker
Relevant for televised events, coaching video or high-speed capture.
Select compatible driver/color configuration.
Have a target standard, league brief or photometric specification?Send it with your site drawing →
Controls & Operating Scenes
Light when needed, at the level the venue actually needs.
Scene planning can reduce operating hours and energy use, but the control architecture must match the selected driver/product configuration. ZC can coordinate compatible luminaire interfaces; final system integration should follow the project control design.
Full approved court scene.
Reduced scene where project criteria allow.
Independent zoning in multi-court facilities.
Low/local operation.
Scheduling and automatic shut-off to support neighborhood commitments.
Accessories & Special Conditions
Use accessories to solve defined engineering issues.
Shielding, brackets, drivers and electrical accessories should be selected because the project needs them—not added as generic decoration.
PL08 front/back visor options where required
Top-mount or U-bracket strategy matched to pole geometry
Precision aiming and locking hardware
0-10V/DALI or other compatible dimming interface where selected
Coastal anti-corrosion option for exposed clubs
Surge protection and accessible electrical isolation
New Build & Retrofit
Existing infrastructure can be valuable, but it must be verified.
LED retrofit decisions should combine structural, electrical, optical and operational review.
Court retrofits can often keep existing poles, but the old floodlight tilt
and bracket arrangement may not suit modern asymmetric optics. Measure pole height,
pole-to-court distance, crossarm size and the direction of existing fixtures before selecting
replacement products.
Retrofitting existing poles or roof positions?Send
pole height, fixture photos and existing layout →
Recommended Products
Products worth evaluating for this application.
These are project starting points, not universal specifications. Final product, power, optics, accessories and controls should follow photometric calculation and installation conditions. Confirm the latest product configuration with ZC Lighting before specification.
PL08
PL08 Tennis & Padel Court Light
Court-focused luminaire designed around lower mounting heights, glare management, spill-light control, flexible aiming and single- or multi-court layouts.
Why evaluate it here: Primary court-focused recommendation:
multiple court optics, visor options and flexible mounting/aiming make it suited to
tennis and padel.
View
product→
FL26
FL26 Scalable Stadium Floodlight
Modular sports floodlight with a broad power and optical range, useful where one project needs several beam distributions or phased fixture quantities.
Why evaluate it here: Consider for larger multi-court complexes
or higher mounting positions where broader power/optical flexibility is required.
View
product→FL20
FL20 Full-Cutoff Modular Floodlight
Full-cutoff modular floodlight for projects requiring strict upward-light control, broad optical choice and stable visual performance.
Why evaluate it here: Can be considered when the project puts
exceptional emphasis on full-cutoff/upward-light control, subject to photometric
suitability.
View
product→Installation & Commissioning
A good calculation still needs a disciplined site handover.
Fixture orientation, aiming, control grouping and verification should be treated as part of the lighting design—not left to visual adjustment after installation.
Verify pole-to-court geometry and bracket orientation.
Aim each luminaire to the designed court zone.
Measure both courts separately on multi-court sites.
Check player glare from baselines and net areas.
Review residential/window points where required.
Test court zoning, dimming and curfew schedules.
Project Input Checklist
What to send for a faster technical review.
Better input data reduces redesign, narrows the right product/optic combination and makes the first proposal more useful.
01
Court type and count
02
Court dimensions
03
Pole positions/heights
04
Fence/glass geometry
05
Nearest homes/hotel/roads
06
Competition level
07
Operating hours
08
Control/zoning requirements
CAD or PDF available?Attach it with the enquiry
for a faster photometric review →
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions to resolve before final product selection.
These answers are practical engineering guidance. Final performance should be confirmed against the project requirements and applicable local or sport-specific standards.
Can tennis and padel use the same luminaire layout?
Not automatically. Court dimensions, glass/fence geometry, pole positions and viewing directions differ, so the photometric and glare review should be specific.
Is a visor always required?
No. Use a visor when the calculation or observer review shows it improves spill/backlight/source visibility without harming the on-court result.
Can existing tennis poles be reused for padel?
Sometimes, but pole position, height, crossarm and glass/fence constraints should be checked.
How important is vertical light on a court?
Very important for tracking a ball above eye height, even when the project specification is expressed mainly in horizontal lux.
What should be included in a multi-court calculation?
Every court, shared poles, adjacent court glare, circulation areas and off-site assessment points should be included.
Related Sports Applications
Continue with the venue closest to your project.
Request a lighting proposal
Send the site geometry before choosing fixture quantity.
Share dimensions, mounting positions and heights, target performance, existing fixture information and available drawings. ZC Lighting can then review product options, optics, quantity, aiming and compatible control requirements.
Email: info@zcled.com