What lights are used in a volleyball court?
1. Flood lights
This light source is the standard projector you see on any well-lit sports arena. From the sand volleyball court to the indoor volleyball facility, the flood light is suitable for short-range distances.
Although LED flood lights are more popular nowadays, you can still find older models. Usually, the lighting designer’s plan is to use these lighting bodies as the most reliable light source. So, you can find them installed on light poles, frames, light tower lamp posts, etc.
Some solar, portable solutions might also include a movable casing with solar panels. In this regard, most people use them as a temporary lighting system or for security lighting. Flood lights are useful for fixing most illuminance problems. Especially when you are out of ideas.
The typical flood light is made of a frame with a glass protector and the LED chip inside a reflector. Plus housing with a driver in it.
2. Spot lights
Spot lights are the flood light counterpart when it comes to long range distances.
Even their design is slightly different. In fact, a spot light is often oval or circular in shape. Then again, it has a shell for the bulb and the lamp holder.
Usually, the spot light comes with c-clamps, a hook, safety cables, and everything else you can use to point the luminous flux in a precise direction. The central function of a spot light is to emit a concentrated light beam. The lamp housing hosts shutters to further increase or limit the beam of light.
You can install spot lights on high masts, walls, or frames. Alternatively, you can hang them from custom structures, the volleyball facility ceiling, or a bracket.
Spot lights are great to put your ideas into practice. For example, you can attach the yoke to a telescoping pipe. You can create your portable light tower to illuminate an ill-lit area. Or you can use more than one spot light at a time to replace a broken luminaire.
3. Solar lights
This type of LED light fixture is ideal for an outdoor sand volleyball court. For one thing, this tech exploits daylight to charge a battery. In fact, solar lights have a photovoltaic panel connected to a lithium battery.
When the sunlight goes out, the battery kicks in to ignite the LED lights. An auto dim mode could allow for more longevity. But usually, the battery lasts for 4 hours or so. Solar lights are great for saving on energy bills and installation costs.
Also, most solar lights do not require annoying cables or adapters. Installing them is very simple and can be done in minutes. They only need a place with enough sunlight to recharge during the day. Then, the photovoltaic cells store solar energy automatically. Basically, solar lights are portable lighting solutions.
Solar lights are also useful for late afternoon training sessions. For example, the classic set, spike, and dig drills. Or learning to do a pancake on a new sand volleyball court.
4. High bay lights
Volleyball is one of the most played team sports ever, as well as an Olympic discipline since 1964. Often, high school PE teachers introduce the sport and make boys and girls play in gyms. Here, neon or LED tubes might just work fine. But lately, volleyball associations released more demanding lighting standards. So, the need for more effective sports lights arose.
High bay lights are the perfect lighting solution for any indoor volleyball facility. You can find them in college and university sports facilities, as well as virtually every volleyball club.
These lights provide vertical lighting. Mainly, they are better suited for volleyball because they help both refs and players to see more clearly. With this in mind, it is easier to catch a blocking fault or do a successful front row tip. Poor lighting can cause all sorts of problems. Especially during competitive events.
High-bay fixtures usually attach to the ceiling. A custom-made lighting plan can include:
- round high bay lights (also known as UFO high bay lights)
- linear high bay lights (rectangular in shape for a wider beam angle)
Ideas for lighting up a volleyball court
1. Pole lights
The most cost-efficient lighting design for an outdoor volleyball court is using 2 to 4 poles per court. Just place the light poles at the side, in line with the volleyball net. Of course, you can place a single high mast between adjacent pitches to save even more on running costs. If you plan to use this 3-pole layout, the central high mast could mount a luminaire ring to improve the lighting uniformity.
Be aware of the height of the light pole inserted in the sand volleyball court! Beach volleyball requires the use of light poles taller than the net but not too high. Especially if you opt for solar lighting, which is a popular lighting solution. Two 20 ft poles should provide at least 10 fc (107,6 lux) on the front zone. Starting from the center line, you should be able to get lux readings and achieve at least a 2.07 lighting uniformity (max/min illuminance).
2. Portable light tower for the volleyball court
Consider getting portable light towers for multi-purpose usage. Mostly, people use them as temporary lighting solution. Especially for volleyball court without poles. But they can be a valid alternative if you do not intend to build permanent poles. In short, they
- give you plenty of options
- provide temporary or emergency lighting
- are adjustable in height
Many movable light tower models exist on the market. So, you can easily find one that suits your needs. Some are completely independent, while others can connect to the power grid. Besides, you can customize each light tower with several accessories such as a generator, trailer hooks, wheels, etc.
Ideally, you should want to get 2 to 4 light towers per volleyball court. You can put them at the corners or the sidelines. Plus, they are easy to move around, so you can take them out in case of lack of proper notice.
Portable light towers have a telescopic lamp post. Generally, a 4 to 8 meters pole. The height of the light pole can be adjusted either manually or mechanically. To be precise, the latest models can let you control the light tower height via an app from your cell phone.
3. Solar lights
Playing volleyball at night is great. Especially on a beach with ocean waves in the background. But as you know, wiring up a pitch near the shoreline is a challenging task. So, you can use solar lights to bring lighting and plan the design you want.
Of course, these lights are suitable for outdoor volleyball courts only. They will reduce the electricity bill. But at the same time, they need sunlight to recharge. Not only that, using time after fully charged is anywhere between 4 and 8 hours. Several factors may influence the performances of each unit, including:
- standard wear and tear of the battery
- inadequate IP rating against rain and dust
- aging
Since solar LED lights are not usually as powerful as standard high mast floodlighting, you can install LED strips on the volleyball net. High wind conditions may also cause problems, so make sure to fix the solar lights as tight and securely as possible.
Common mistakes when lighting up a volleyball court
1. Too dim
With less than 100 lux, you cannot see the fast-moving volleyball/teammate. Consider that you need at least 200 lux for a beach dig after a high and deep jump serve. In fact, a custom package might be ideal for lighting up a specific sand volleyball.
Portable light towers can successfully increase the light uniformity on the sand volleyball court. In detail, at least one temporary lighting solution should be available at all times.
Ill-lit areas can put volleyball players under pressure. Then again, you could be providing an insufficient lux level according to the lighting standard. Depending on the level of play, you still need up to 250 lux (23 footcandles) for an acceptable illuminance.
Poor lighting lowers the distribution levels. In other words, the attackers might not be able to focus while attacking the ball for a kill. The setter might misjudge the space when performing a back-one. Lastly, blockers might hit the ground badly.
2. Too bright
If the lighting design provides more than 800 lux on a standard/sand volleyball court for recreational use, it would be blinding to most people. The lights would be too bright for non-professional volleyball players. Mostly because they are not accustomed to them.
Such a high lighting standard is used for televised volleyball matches only. But if you plan to rent your professional volleyball facility, you might want to consider a different lighting profile for each type of customer/player. In that case, switch to a lower setting or install a lighting control system.
The lighting plan should always meet the players’ comfort level. When the LED lights are too bright, spiking could be almost impossible. In fact, when an attacker jumps, the typical player usually looks up for a brief instant. Glare can cause problems in virtually any excessive lighting condition. Then again, too bright lights will cause light pollution and annoy the neighbors.
3. Low light uniformity
When the lighting is not evenly spread on the volleyball court, low light uniformity can cause many issues. Including:
- eye strains
- uncomfortable vision to outside hitters/middle blocker, etc.
- inattention and failure to keep up with the strategies for attacking, setting, passing, or blocking
- finger injuries and ankle sprains
- incidental net contact
How to fix these common mistakes when lighting up a volleyball court?
For starters, always refer to the volleyball court lighting standards. The official rules contain all the relevant guidelines for the best results.
Requesting a DIALux photometric lighting report is also a smart move. When you contact experts like us, you receive a simulation report that shows the lux, uniformity, and glare of the volleyball court. Simply put, professionals can create the perfect lighting plan for you with precise light level diagrams. In this way, you can satisfy every lighting requirement swiftly and effortlessly.
