Padel, tennis and futsal court lighting — a guide to poles and light levels

Why court lighting is a category of its own

Lighting a sports court is not scaled-down road lighting. On a road it is enough for the driver to see the lane; on a court the player tracks a fast ball in the air and needs a clear view without being blinded when looking up.

As padel and small-court sports expand across the Kingdom, getting the lighting right has become a direct operational advantage: a well-lit court books more hours after dusk, and a poorly lit one loses its peak hours.

Required light levels

Light intensity is measured in lux, and it varies with the level of play. For recreational play and training, a padel or tennis court is usually fine between 200 and 300 lux. For competitive matches or filming, the requirement rises to 500 lux or more.

Futsal usually needs a slightly higher level because of the larger court and faster play. But the number alone is not enough — distribution uniformity matters just as much: a large gap between the brightest and darkest spot makes the ball visually disappear as it crosses the court.

Pole height and placement

A typical padel court is served by four poles at the corners, or six for longer courts, at a height usually between 6 and 8 meters. A tennis court needs a slightly greater height to cover its wider area.

Futsal usually needs poles between 8 and 10 meters distributed along both sides. The core rule: the fixture must be high enough to light the ball at the top of its arc, and far enough from the player's line of sight.

Pole position matters as much as its height: poles at the corners and at correct aiming angles reduce the shadows players cast on each other and keep direct light out of their eyes.

Glare control — the most overlooked factor

Glare is what most ruins the playing experience, and what cheap quotes most often neglect. A fixture aimed at the wrong angle puts a harsh spot of light in the player's eye exactly as they track a high ball.

Glare is addressed three ways: choosing fixtures with a suitable optical shield, precisely tuning the aiming angle, and raising the mounting point to reduce the direct angle to the player's line of sight. Courts near homes also need light spill outside the court boundary controlled, out of respect for the neighbors.

Manufacturing and installation considerations

Since most courts are outdoors, the poles should be galvanized to resist rust, with powder coating available if color is part of the facility's identity. Poles carrying more than one fixture need a cross-arm or a mounting frame designed for the load.

It is best to route the lighting cables inside the pole, not outside — cleaner visually and better protected from tampering and weather. A maintenance door should be left at the base of the pole for access to the connections.

At Aktar we manufacture court poles with custom heights and arms to suit the sport and the court dimensions. Send us your court measurements and the number of fixtures required, and our engineering team will prepare a recommendation for the right poles. The consultation is free and non-binding.