A technical submittal is the approval bridge between design and ordering
A sports lighting technical submittal should do more than attach a generic datasheet. Its purpose is to show that the exact configuration being offered can be connected to the approved project basis: the field geometry, lighting criteria, photometric calculation, mounting arrangement, electrical system, controls and required evidence.
It is also important to define what the submittal is not. It is not a replacement for the owner's project brief, the lighting designer's calculation, a structural engineer's approval, the installer's method statement or the final commissioning record.
Freeze the project basis before reviewing product documents
A technically complete product package can still be wrong for the project if reviewers are working from different revisions of the field plan, target criteria or pole schedule. Before reviewing the submittal, confirm the controlled project basis.
Venue and sport
Sport, class of play, field dimensions, operating modes, broadcast needs where applicable, and sensitive boundaries.
Lighting criteria
Applicable project standard, horizontal and vertical targets, uniformity, glare, spill-light or environmental criteria where required.
Physical geometry
Pole coordinates, mounting heights, setbacks, crossarms, obstructions, camera positions and relevant receptor locations.
Approval baseline
Latest approved calculation, drawing revision, fixture schedule, assumption register and known project constraints.
If these inputs are not controlled, the technical submittal should be marked preliminary rather than treated as final evidence for ordering.
Eight document groups should normally be traceable to one exact configuration
Configuration schedule
Exact model, quantity, wattage or programmed output, optic, CCT, driver, controls and accessories by fixture ID or group.
Product datasheet
Technical data for the actual product family, with the submitted option or configuration clearly identified.
Photometric data
IES or LDT files that correspond to the exact optic and output represented in the project calculation.
Calculation package
Project layout, results, assumptions, reference planes, maintenance factor and required sports or broadcast metrics.
Aiming and mounting
Fixture IDs, pole positions, pan/tilt or target information, brackets, shields and the installed orientation used by the design.
Mechanical interface
Weight, mounting geometry, driver-box location, accessories and available project-relevant wind-loading information.
Electrical and controls
Voltage, wiring, protection, dimming protocol, grouping, scenes, gateways and responsibility boundaries.
Testing and compliance
Applicable certificates, photometric reports and environmental or reliability evidence required by the specification.
The calculation is only valid if the submitted optical data matches the offered product
ANSI/IES RP-6-24 covers sports-lighting design considerations, computer calculations, floodlight aiming, field measurements, uniformity and broadcast applications. CIBSE/SLL LG4 similarly includes sport-specific requirements, maintenance and operation, and equipment specification. These references reinforce why a sports-lighting review cannot stop at a nominal wattage or lumen figure.
| Photometric item | What the reviewer should confirm | Status |
|---|---|---|
| IES / LDT file | File corresponds to the exact optic and output being offered. | Core |
| Calculation report | Field geometry, grids, criteria, assumptions and maintenance factor are visible. | Core |
| Horizontal illuminance | Average, minimum and uniformity are evaluated on the required reference plane. | Core |
| Vertical illuminance | Included where sport, camera or project criteria require it. | Conditional |
| Glare / off-site impact | Method and observer or boundary conditions match the project requirement. | Conditional |
| Aiming schedule | Fixture IDs and installed angles or targets correspond to the calculation. | Core |
For UEFA-level football projects, the applicable competition level and broadcast environment affect the required pitch illuminance system, and UEFA calls for an illuminance test report after installation for new stadiums. The technical submittal therefore needs to preserve enough configuration detail for the installed result to be tested against the approved basis later.
Provide equipment loading data without turning the submittal into an unsupported structural approval
Sports floodlights are mounted high above the ground, often on existing poles and crossarms. A product supplier should therefore provide the equipment information needed by the structural reviewer, but should not imply that fixture weight alone proves an existing pole is suitable.
| Interface | Supplier evidence | Typical reviewing party |
|---|---|---|
| Luminaire weight | Configured fixture and bracket weight | Structural / pole specialist |
| Wind-related equipment data | EPA or equivalent manufacturer data where available, with basis and configuration clear | Structural / pole specialist |
| Mounting geometry | Bracket dimensions, orientation, offset and fastening interface | Structural + installer |
| Remote driver / control box | Location, weight, dimensions and mounting arrangement | Structural + electrical |
| Visors / shields | Accessory identification and any effect on loading data where documented | Structural + lighting designer |
Control-ready does not mean integration-ready until the interfaces are documented
A submittal should make the electrical and control architecture visible enough for the electrical designer, installer and system integrator to identify mismatches before equipment is ordered.
Power interface
Input voltage and frequency, configured input power, circuit assumptions, protection requirements and wiring arrangement as required by the project.
Driver architecture
Integrated or remote arrangement, driver quantity, location, cable relationship and service access.
Protocol and grouping
0–10V, DALI, DMX or other interface, fixture groups, zones and scene intent should be coordinated with the actual drivers.
System ownership
Identify who supplies gateways, programming, network connection, manual override, fallback logic and final commissioning.
If event or RGBW lighting is included, keep it separate from the required white competition-lighting performance and define the priority or fallback behavior before approval.
Submit the evidence that is relevant to the actual installation environment
Not every project needs the same test package. Coastal fields, hot climates, dusty industrial sites and broadcast venues create different evidence requirements. The technical submittal should therefore map test evidence to the project rather than attach an uncontrolled folder of certificates.
| Project condition | Possible evidence to review | Important check |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor weather exposure | IP / ingress-protection evidence where specified | Exact enclosure or product configuration |
| Impact risk | IK or mechanical-impact evidence where specified | Scope and test basis |
| Hot ambient | Rated ambient range, thermal testing or derating information | Maximum configured power and driver arrangement |
| Coastal / corrosive | Corrosion or salt-spray evidence where required | Material, coating and exposure relevance |
| Broadcast | Flicker, color and camera-relevant performance evidence where required | Project acceptance metric and test method |
DarkSky International's outdoor sports-lighting program is a useful example of a project-level evidence approach: its design phase asks for project information, calculations and control policy documentation, followed by field verification for certified installations. The key lesson is that responsible performance is demonstrated through a chain of design and site evidence—not by a product label alone.
Do not treat every PDF attachment as equally strong evidence
Marketing claim
Brochure language, website statement or family-level feature. Useful for orientation, not sufficient for project approval.
Product data
Controlled datasheet, drawing or manufacturer report for a defined model or configuration.
Project evidence
Calculation, schedule, drawing or interface document tied to the specific venue and configuration.
Verified result
Independent test, qualified review or installed-site measurement where the project requires that level of evidence.
A strong submittal does not necessarily contain more pages. It contains the right evidence, with clear revision control and traceability.
Six warning signs that the submittal is not ready for final approval
Generic datasheet only
The exact optic, output, driver or accessory is not identified.
Calculation mismatch
The photometric file or fixture name in the calculation does not match the offered configuration.
Uncontrolled revisions
Drawings, schedules and calculations show different dates or fixture quantities.
Missing interfaces
Driver boxes, brackets, shields, gateways or pole-mounted accessories are absent from the loading or wiring review.
Certification overclaim
A standard, association or governing-body logo is used without evidence that the exact product or project holds that approval.
No approval boundary
It is unclear who is responsible for photometric, structural, electrical, control and final project approval.
Review the submittal by discipline, then release one controlled configuration
Any later substitution or configuration change should be screened against the approved baseline. A change that appears minor—such as a different optic, visor, bracket, driver or output—can affect photometric, structural, electrical or control results.
Sports lighting technical submittal questions
Is a product datasheet enough for a sports lighting technical submittal?
No. A datasheet describes a product family, but a project submittal should identify the exact configured luminaire, optic, output, driver, controls and accessories and connect that configuration to the project calculation and drawings.
Should the luminaire supplier approve an existing pole for reuse?
Not unless that supplier is contractually and professionally responsible for the structural design. The lighting supplier can provide verified equipment weight, mounting geometry and available wind-loading data; pole and foundation approval normally belongs to the qualified structural party defined by the project.
Do IES or LDT files prove that a sports lighting design is compliant?
No. Photometric files are inputs to a calculation. Compliance depends on the correct project geometry, criteria, product configuration, aiming, assumptions, calculation method and the authority responsible for approval.
When should a technical submittal be reissued?
Reissue it when an approved item changes in a way that may affect the calculation, structure, electrical system, controls, environmental performance or acceptance basis. The revision should identify what changed and which disciplines need to review it.
Is the technical submittal the same as the commissioning or handover package?
No. The technical submittal supports pre-order or pre-installation approval. Commissioning and handover records verify what was actually installed, aimed, programmed, measured and accepted on site.
Make the submitted configuration easy to review—and hard to misunderstand.
Send the controlled field plan, target criteria, pole information and requested product configuration. ZC Lighting can support product schedules, photometric files, lighting calculations, aiming documentation and control-compatible product information within the agreed project scope.
Sources and professional guidance
- Illuminating Engineering Society, ANSI/IES RP-6-24: Recommended Practice—Lighting Sports and Recreational Areas.
- UEFA, UEFA Stadium Lighting Guide 2023.
- CIBSE / Society of Light and Lighting, LG4 Sports Lighting (2023).
- DarkSky International, Outdoor Sports Lighting Guidelines.
This article is a practical documentation framework. Contract documents, governing-body rules, local codes, licensed professional responsibilities and the project approval authority take precedence.