LED lights are characterized by excellent energy efficiency, low maintenance, high quality performance and superior longevity. Given the way pickleball is played – with a small ball that is ping-ponged at high speeds – high quality lighting is necessary for an enjoyable pickleball experience.

No matter where your pickleball courts are being installed – parks, recreation centers, neighborhoods, competitive facilities – LED lighting can provide the kind of high-quality light that even the professionals can play by.

Five Reasons to Consider LED Lighting for Pickleball Courts

LED fixtures have been adapted for a variety of sports lighting applications. With the rapid rise in pickleball’s popularity, they are ideal for pickleball courts, too. If you’re planning a pickleball project, here are five reasons to consider LEDs:

• Energy efficiency – LED lighting has proven to be the most efficient lighting technology on the market. If you measure energy efficiency using a watt-to-lumen ratio, which compares the amount of light produced with every unit of energy, LED lighting is more than twice as efficient as a system running on metal halides. However, this does not capture the whole picture because metal halides emit illumination in an omnidirectional pattern. To make this light useful for pickleball, it needs to be reflected back down to ground level. Up to 30 percent of the original illumination output is wasted in this way. On the other hand, LEDs are directional in nature, so they emit light in a tighter spread. This makes it easier for installers to aim the fixture and ensure as much light as possible reaches the court. LEDs are vastly superior to metal halides in this area.
• Low maintenance design – LED lights require almost zero maintenance once they are installed. They offer excellent durability against impact and in all weather conditions. They tolerate heat and cold extremely well. They are built with electrical components (the driver) that also last longer than those used with fluorescent fixtures (the ballast, for example).With an LED pickleball lighting system, your organization will save money on maintenance calls and achieve a rapid return on investment (ROI).
• Flexible lighting distribution – LED lights are available in several light distribution patterns, and a few are purpose-built for sports venues. Type III LEDs, for example, throw their light forward from the fixture, so the pole can be positioned well off the field of play. Type III lights are also a popular choice because they emit minimal backlight, which prevents light pollution and trespass onto neighboring properties.
• High quality performance – Early LED lights lagged in performance, but as the technology has been perfected, this problem has been resolved. Modern LED lighting systems are now prized for their high-intensity, even illumination that leaves no dead spots or hotspots. This is extremely important for pickleball courts and other high-paced sports venues. For safe play, pickleball lighting must maintain a 2.0 min/max ratio. This means the brightest part of the court cannot be more than twice as bright as the dimmest part of the court. This ensures players do not have to readjust their vision as they move around the play area.LED lighting is better at staying within these tight tolerances than other lighting options.
• Unmatched longevity – Once a fixture’s output – in lumens – has dropped by at least 30 percent, the lamp is no longer considered usable. Metal halides reach this mark much faster than LEDs, so even though they appear extremely bright when first installed, they will be noticeably dimmer by the 10,000-hour mark. By 15,000 hours, most metal halides require replacement. On average, LED lights will provide 50,000 to 100,000 hours of high-quality performance before they hit the 30 percent mark. That means an LED lamp will last for years between replacement, even if operated around the clock, 365 days a year. ​​

Designing an LED Lighting System for Pickleball Courts

Every sports lighting system is designed according to the playing field’s dimensions. This is also true of pickleball courts. The USA Pickleball association has standardized the size of a pickleball court at 20’ (width) x 44’ (length). The dimensions of the entire court area – including the outer boundary – is around 30’ x 60’.

Four LED fixtures mounted on poles at least 20 feet high can sufficiently illuminate the area. The extra height is necessary to maintain visibility on the ball as it’s hit up into the air.

If your project includes multiple courts, you will need to scale up the number of fixtures. Standard practice is to install LED lights between pickleball courts and distribute their illumination across both. You will still need a pair of lighting poles on the outside edges of each court, but with this approach, six poles can light two courts, eight can light three, and so on.

Why High-Quality Lighting is Important for Pickleball Courts

USA Pickleball makes its lighting recommendations based on the level of play. Professional players require brighter lighting than club players, who require better light than recreational players. This is because the ball is hit harder and higher at top levels.

Regardless of the level of play, though, there are a few reasons why it is important to invest in quality lighting fixtures. For example:

• Safety – Pickleball players can be injured if they cannot track the ball well. With high visibility lighting, players of all ages can follow the ball’s movements without having to adjust their eyes during the game.
• Extended play hours – If you are expecting people to use the court during and after sunset, you will need pickleball court lighting that can overcome low light conditions. A high-quality LED lighting solution ensures your players can volley through the night.
• Better play experience – High visibility lighting supports a better game experience, as players can react and perform better. Further, professionally installed LED systems are designed with zero glare, which means zero distraction on the court.

LED Lighting Can Be a Game Changer for Pickleball Courts

LED technology is established as the future of sports lighting, pickleball included. LEDs energy efficiency, performance, and longevity have them ahead of the game, so to speak.

If your pickleball courts are in the planning phase, or construction is underway, a trusted LED lighting expert can match the right fixtures to your project and ensure they are installed with precision.

Lighting Up Your Neighborhood Pickleball Court: A Tutorial

Pickleball is the country’s fastest growing sport, and more people are wanting to learn to play every day. As such, pickleball courts are being added to more neighborhood parks, recreation centers and municipalities.

Pickleball is regularly compared to tennis, as the two sports share many similarities. One is the playing area, which consists of a hard court and net, both fenced in to contain the action. However, pickleball courts are smaller, and the action tends to be slower than a tennis match, so these courts require a unique approach to lighting. Sports lighting experts can model a new system (using photometric analysis) and ensure lighting levels are adequate for safe play, regardless of the time of day.

But when setting up a neighborhood pickleball court, there’s an important consideration – how the lights impact people living nearby.

Homeowner’s associations (HOAs) and municipal parks departments are facing a wave of pickleball projects and related lighting concerns. Specifically, how can neighborhood parks feature America’s hottest sport without frustrating people with excessive court lighting?

The answer is an LED lighting system, built with lighting fixtures designed to be minimally disruptive to communities and wildlife.

Recommended Pickleball Court Lighting Standards

Pickleball courts look like a shrunk-down tennis court or an oversized ping pong table, depending on your perspective. The court itself measures 44 feet long and 20 feet wide, though the fenced-in perimeter is considerably larger, at 61 feet long and 34 feet wide. Because they are smaller than tennis courts, it’s easier to fit more pickleball playing areas in any given space.

For lighting professionals, the best approach to illuminating one or more pickleball courts is with a set of pole-mounted LED fixtures. For recreational play, the minimum level of light for safe play is 30 footcandles at ground level – that’s 30 lumens (a measure of lighting output) per square foot. Higher lighting levels are required for higher levels of play, where the ball (and players) tend to move faster. However, for neighborhood parks, the 30 footcandle standard is sufficient.

Another lighting consideration is uniformity. If some parts of the court are too bright or too dark, it will pose unsafe playing conditions, as the player’s eyesight will not be able to adjust quickly enough to react. This is measured using lighting uniformity ratio, which takes the brightest level of light and divides it by the dimmest. An ideal uniformity ratio for pickleball is 2.0 or better – meaning the brightest area on the court cannot be more than twice as bright as the dimmest. This is a tight ratio for sports courts and reinforces the notion that pickleball lighting systems require professional precision.

What an LED Pickleball Lighting Solution Includes

While those are the official pickleball lighting standards, any local lighting requirements will obviously supersede them. In some areas, these ordinances are stringent, demanding near-zero lighting pollution, glare and light trespass. There may be additional requirements for when the lights are allowed to operate, and how efficient the system must be. There may be standards for pole height and wind safety as well. In short, there are many factors to consider, so pickleball court lighting is often designed on a case-by-case basis.

In most cases, though, LED lights offer an unbeatable combination of lighting quality and minimal disruption.

An LED pickleball court lighting system consists of several lighting poles and mounted LED fixtures. Each fixture houses an LED luminaire, and each luminaire houses numerous diodes emitting illumination in tandem.

The number of lighting poles and their height depends on the project, though a widely accepted standard is 20-foot poles. For most installation projects, more than one pickleball court will be placed. In many cases, there are a dozen or more courts in a single park – so lighting poles can be arranged between courts and used to illuminate more than one court. In general, expect to see two or four poles for a single court, and the number will scale up from there for more courts.

How LED Lighting Technology Ensures Compliance with Local Ordinances

As a modern lighting technology, LED fixtures can be readily adapted to meet toughening lighting ordinances. This typically includes restrictions on the amount of light trespass (the amount of light allowed to emit from the property), but there are several standards to account for, including dark sky, pole height, wind rating, and efficiency standards. Here is how current-generation LED fixtures are designed to exceed those standards:

• Lighting trespass and pollution restrictions – LED lights are directional by their engineering, meaning their output can be precisely aimed without the use of reflectors or other special optical features. This directionality means LED fixtures can be installed so that their output is shaped to fit the pickleball court.

  LED lights are available in several output distribution patterns, including options that direct almost all the illumination forward and prevent significant backlight and trespass.

  Fixtures can also be fitted with a baffle attached to the back of the luminaire, which blocks out any backlight and ensures the illumination only goes where it is intended.

  Finally, putting together a photometric analysis prior to construction will show, down to the lumen, where the system’s output is going. Lighting experts can make numerous fine adjustments to their analysis to achieve excellent court visibility while minimizing lighting pollution.

• Dark sky (uplighting) restrictions – Related to the previous point, many municipalities are introducing dark sky restrictions. These restrictions are aimed at promoting a clearer night sky, reducing the negative impact of lighting on human sleep/wake cycles, and reducing the impact on area wildlife.

  In general, these restrictions are designed to cut down on uplighting, which is illumination that is cast into the sky instead of on the ground. Uplighting has no benefit to people and is therefore a nuisance.

  But LED fixtures, again because of their directionality, can be configured to emit near-zero uplight. This is typically done by shielding the fixture, which “funnels” output into a tight cone of desired lighting angles. Any light that is aimed upward or at angles that could cause glare are shielded out.

• Pole height standards – Some HOAs and municipalities also place limits on the height of light poles. Ideally, pickleball court fixtures are mounted to poles at least 20 feet high, but in areas where this is prohibited, an experienced lighting expert can make the project work with 15-foot poles. LED lighting and its highly customizable distribution patterns make this possible.

  If pole height restrictions are present, it’s critical to put together a photometric analysis beforehand. This will ensure adequate lighting levels are possible and ensure the HOA or city knows what the system will look like prior to installation.

• Wind rating standards – In some areas – particularly those along the coast – wind can be a threat to lighting fixtures and poles. As such, it is common to see wind ratings incorporated into lighting standards. These ratings describe the maximum wind speeds the fixture is capable of withstanding before the risk of failure becomes too great.

  LED technology also helps with compliance in this regard. LED fixtures are lighter and more compact than older lighting options. They also do not require bulky reflectors (that’s LED’s directionality again), which add more weight and surface area to the light. It is therefore easier for lighting installers to adhere to critical wind ratings when using LED lights.

LED lighting technology is also the most energy efficient available, requires minimal (if any) maintenance, is rated for more than 50,000 hours of excellent performance, and can be used with an array of modern lighting controls. Add it all up and LED lighting solutions are not only compliance-friendly, but they are also the most cost effective for HOAs and municipalities to operate on an ongoing basis.

LED Solutions Keep the Light on the Pickleball Court

As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, more HOAs, parks departments and community centers are preparing to install courts for a growing body of players.

And luckily for pickleball players, and the decision makers responsible for approving court construction, LED lighting has evolved to the point where it is a perfect fit for neighborhood parks and sport courts. LED lighting’s unmatched precision, compatibility with shields and baffles, lightweight build, excellent efficiency and excellent durability makes LED pickleball lighting the ideal option.

Sports fields and stadiums rely on high-output, high-reliability lighting to ensure optimal visibility at field level and in the stands. Until recently, this lighting was delivered using outdated technologies like metal halides or high-pressure sodium lamps. While these legacy lighting systems are capable of high outputs, they’re inefficient, short-lived, and limited in functionality.

Efficiency, longevity and functionality are just a few of LED’s advantages, along with several others. Unsurprisingly, professional venues are making the switch to LED stadium lighting, too. More than half of MLB stadiums have switched, for example, as well as several NFL stadiums. And if LED lighting is sufficient for professional-level athletics, it’s more than capable for high school and neighborhood fields.

Is it time for your venue to transition to LED lighting? Here’s four reasons why many other venues have made the switch:

LED Lights Reduce Operating Costs

LED lighting offers a double cost-saving advantage to sports stadiums and any other large-scale project. First, LED lights offer unsurpassed energy efficiency. This energy savings alone is enough for many to consider LED sports lighting. And the larger your system, the greater those savings.

A 400W metal halide light, for example, can be replaced by a 200W LED light that offers just as much high quality illumination. That’s a 50 percent cut in electricity usage per lamp, which can mean hundreds per lamp, depending on the type of fixtures the sports field is currently operating.

LED’s longevity also minimizes maintenance costs, which are a part of a lighting system’s year-over-year expense. A typical LED stadium light will provide between 30,000 and 50,000 hours of high quality illumination before replacement is likely required. Compare that to metal halides, which drop about 20 percent of their lumen count within a few thousand hours of operation. Most metal halides are out of commission by the 10,000 hour mark, and many fail before that. High pressure sodium lamps last longer, but still fail before they hit 20,000 hours.

Add it all up, and this means you’ll need to replace a metal halide four or more times before a single LED replacement is required. And you’ll switch out a high pressure sodium lamp twice, at least, before that LED burns out.

Fewer lamp replacements will reduce purchasing costs, clearly, but that’s not all. Sports field and stadium fixtures are mounted on tall poles, some as high as 100 feet. Accessing these fixtures requires special, and therefore expensive, equipment. Reducing those calls to maintenance will further expedite your system’s ROI.

LEDs are Flicker-free and Do Not Require a Warm-up Period

An LED system is more than a cost-saver, though. In many ways, it offers comparable or superior performance to legacy lighting, especially for a sports field. One important advantage is LED’s flicker-free lighting quality. LED lamps emit a steady stream of flawless illumination that isn’t marred by distracting flicker.

More importantly, though, LED fixtures do not require a warmup period before they reach maximum output. They generate 100 percent of their rated output within moments of switching on, so they can be turned on right before sundown and still provide enough illumination for night-time playing conditions. Compare this instant-on functionality to metal halides, which take so long to warm up that they must be switched on well before the sun sets. That’s a lot of wasted energy and wasted money.

And if the stadium’s lights are fitted with advanced lighting controls, LEDs can save additional power while warming up. That’s because they can be brought up slowly as the sun fades, and only brought to maximum output right when it’s needed.

LED Stadium Lights Offer Excellent Illumination Quality and Visibility

Early versions of LED lighting lagged behind legacy options in lighting quality, but current generation LED fixtures have caught up in this area. Now, LED lights generate even, brilliant illumination ideal for excellent field-level visibility.

LED fixtures are built with secondary optics that ensure evenly metered illumination, free of flaws like hotspots or shadows. Also, current generation LEDs are available in high-CRI models. A lamp’s CRI (color rendering index) refers to its ability to accurately render colors, so the higher a light’s CRI rating, the easier it is for people to distinguish colors at a distance.

When the ball’s flying during an intense game, LED’s enhanced CRI makes it easier for players and spectators to follow the game.

LED Fixtures Can Be Shielded and Placed for Low-glare Results

One of LED lighting’s benefits is its directionality. Due to their engineering, LED fixtures emit illumination in a tighter spread than legacy technologies. Metal halides and fluorescent lights, for example, radiate illumination in all directions. LEDs don’t do this, which allows installers to precisely aim where the light goes.

In application, this means LED lighting can be positioned and modified so that it produces minimal glare. LED sportslighters are available in several light distribution patterns, including offset patterns where the fixtures can still emit high levels of illumination on the field, without being anywhere near the field of play.

Some LED fixtures can also be shielded to prevent light emission in certain directions. Shielding is normally done to prevent high-brightness fixtures from emitting illumination into the air and causing light pollution. This same approach can also be used to prevent glare from affecting players and viewers during a match.

LED lighting is reliable, durable and energy efficient. It emits minimal heat, works well in all conditions, is highly controllable, comes with an extended lifespan and produces clean, brilliant illumination. There are many reasons why LED lighting is becoming the first choice for athletic venues, including professional sports stadiums.

Another reason for LED’s gaining popularity is a new one – it’s accessibility. In the past, it was prohibitively expensive to transition to LED lighting, but there are now retrofit solutions that can be integrated into existing lighting systems. Retrofit LED solutions can be used to replace outdated lighting components at the fixture level or lamp level, so there are multiple options – along with multiple price points – to choose from. That means the advantages of LED lighting are available to all sports fields, from neighborhood parks to world-class stadiums.

Bocce ball is an old game, with roots dating back to the Roman Empire. First popularized in Italy, the sport is now loved world-wide to the point where many avid players have installed bocce courts in their backyards. While bocce court installation is simple and straightforward what’s more of a challenge is properly lighting the bocce ball court surface. Whether the court is at a home or a public spot bocce ball courts aren’t usable at night unless there is enough illumination to see and safely play by.

What Does a Bocce Ball Court Look Like?

A bocce ball field is rectangular stretching out to just shy of 90 feet long for official play. That may be too long for some areas which is why many choose to reduce the court’s length to 60 or 72 feet. Width wise you’ll need between 10 and 13 feet to have enough room to play.

Beyond that you have options when it comes to court design. For example, your court may be dug out of the ground or installed slightly above it. Keeping height at a minimum and carving out a small area around the court will give people room to gather and socialize. For this reason it’s common for bocce ball courts to feature concrete pavers around the court’s perimeter.

Integrate the Lighting Into The Bocce Ball Court’s Design

If you are a business with an indoor court consider lighting placement from the outset as it’s easier to integrate it directly into the court. Recessed downlights are a popular option as they can be installed right above the court’s surface and therefore direct more light to it. Recessed LED fixtures are available that can be installed in wood or concrete, and they work best when spaced between six and 10 feet apart.

Consider Poles for Mounting Lights Above Outdoor Courts

If your court has already been placed, or if you don’t want to fuss with integrated lighting you can get plenty of illumination with poles or bollards. Each pole only sits a few feet off the ground, with an LED fixture mounted at the top of each.

The light poles themselves are typically made from corrosion-resistant steel or aluminum so they’re protected against the weather. The mounted LED fixture is aimed downward to prevent glare and to maximize lighting efficiency at court level. Since these LEDs are a bit more elevated the lights may need to output additional light to make up for the distance. Alternatively, optics that widen the beam’s angle can spread light further and prevent excess contrast between light and dark.

Bollard Lights Are Another Popular Fixture Choice

Bollards are similar to poles in that they’re mounted a foot or two off the ground. They’re named after the bollard posts you’ll see at a dock or along roadways, so they’re wider in design than a slim-necked post.

If you don’t mind carving out a little more room bollards can be matched for any court design. That’s because they come in a massive variety of designs and aesthetics, so there’s a bollard for every court. Some are completely transparent while others only contain small transparent panels that illumination can cast through.

No matter their appearance, bollards typically sit a couple feet off the ground. Some bollards are directional, while others emit in an omnidirectional pattern that makes them a better choice for larger entertaining spaces.

Why LED Fixtures Are Ideal for Bocce Ball Court Lighting

Whether your bocce lights are integrated into the court or installed above it, LED is the first choice in bocce ball court fixtures. There are a few reasons for this, including:

1. Energy efficiency – LED lighting is the most energy efficient on the market, in terms of watt input to lumen output. It won’t stress your power bill to keep them on for hours at a time.
   LEDs also have the longest lifespan among lights, so they don’t require replacement as often. This keeps maintenance costs down. LEDs can be made even more efficient with lighting controls like timers or photocells. Both ensure the bocce court lights are only on at night, cutting energy usage greatly.
2. Lighting quality – LEDs provide excellent quality light, with even brightness and lighting clarity across the beam’s range. That’s why LEDs are relied on in security lighting applications, too. Your bocce court fixtures don’t quite have the same responsibility, but their strong lighting quality ensures optimal visibility and color representation.
3. Durability and weather protection – Among their many great qualities, LEDs are also more durable than other forms of lighting. They can handle the stray bocce ball if struck, and if protected by an IP-rated enclosure, they are also defended from water and dust. As such, your LED lights will last for years, come rain or shine.

Two More Lighting Considerations: Color Temperature and Color Rendering Index

When selecting a fixture, it’s not just about operating cost or fixture price. It’s also about whether the fixture looks the way you want it to. That means considering color temperature and rendering.

Color temperature refers to the hue that the light emits, from cool to warm. Color temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale and neutral white sits around 4000K. Lower values are “warmer” (which means more red and orange) while higher values are “cooler” (which means white and blue). There isn’t a single best choice in color temperature, but many prefer a warm color temperature as it’s better at creating an intimate, relaxed atmosphere.

Color rendering is different. It refers to how well a fixture represents color accurately, and it’s measured using the color rendering index (CRI). High-CRI fixtures (typically rated 90 or higher) are good at presenting colors in their true hue, which enhances visibility at night. If you use colored bocce balls for each team high-CRI lights will make it easier to play after sundown.

LED Spot Has Fixtures Perfect for Bocce Ball Court Lighting

Bocce ball is gaining in popularity, and if you or your clients like to bocce at night, you’ll need the right fixtures to play with. Our expert LED lighting team can help pick out and source the fixtures for the ideal bocce ball project.