scope:

As the population of North America has grown and prospered, the amount of leisure time devoted to recreation has increased. An important consequence has been growth in the demand for lighted stadiums to accommodate the large numbers of people who want to participate in sporting events. From the 1980s and continuing through the 1990s, light source efficacies have improved. This has allowed for improved lighting quantity and quality without additional electrical energy consumption. Lighted ball fields and other sports facilities are now quite common, and new construction continues. Sports lighting has become a very significant industry that serves a large, growing audience seeking desirable leisure time activities that are healthy and fun.

The use of computers helps experienced lighting designers improve their designs. A computer will not help the inexperienced designer produce better designs, nor will it suggest modifications to improper designs. Therefore, lighting designers need a thorough understanding of illuminating engineering principles and the associated calculation software.

The purpose of this Recommended Practice is to provide design criteria for new lighting systems and for the evaluation of existing installations. This Practice includes illuminance recommendations for major sports, such as baseball, tennis, basketball, and football as well as for recreational and social activities such as horseshoe pitching and croquet. Recommendations are also given for lighting general purpose facilities and multi-sport stadiums. This Practice revises and replaces the previous edition last published in 1988.

This Practice consists of several major sections. They include: fundamentals of good illumination, equipment and design factors, power and wiring, illumination recommendations for indoor and outdoor sports, and five Annexes. The Annexes cover illuminance calculations, field measurements, floodlight aiming, maintenance of light levels, and lighting economics. There is also an extensive glossary of lighting terms and a reference list that pertains to sports lighting design.