Football Floodlights
Football teams have a unique challenge in providing lighting across their pitches and training areas during the darker, winter months. In an ideal world, mains powered lighting would be installed onto every pitch, but with funds often tight, it’s not always possible to invest in professional level, permanent floodlights. At Right Light we offer the highest quality portable and mains powered options - making sure we have both bases covered.
To assist in the lighting of pitches and training areas, to a standard at which training can take place - we supply a range of portable floodlights which provide a reliable, and cost effective light source. Where a fixed solution is required, our range of high output sports floodlights are ideal for the job at hand.
Choosing the Right Floodlights for Football
Lighting is one of the biggest challenges for grassroots football and other outdoor sports. With shorter days across autumn and winter, training sessions and even competitive matches often depend on artificial light. But what type of floodlights are right for your club or facility? Below we explore the main considerations, focusing on portable solutions for flexibility and accessibility, and then touching on mains-powered, fixed systems for those planning long-term installations.
Why consider portable football floodlights?
For many clubs, hiring or installing permanent lighting simply isn’t practical. Planning permission, high upfront costs, and the need for professional installation can put it out of reach. Portable floodlights provide a way around these issues.
Portable units can be set up and taken down quickly, giving you flexibility to train wherever you need to. They’re also easier to fund initially, and many models are approved for sports grants.
How bright do portable floodlights need to be?
One of the first questions clubs ask is: how bright should a floodlight be to make training safe and effective?
Brightness is measured in lumens, not watts. For football training on a small-sided pitch, a 8 lights delivering 20,000 lumens each can provide good coverage. The RL20K portable floodlight is a popular example, with its output tailored to grassroots training needs.
The number of units you require depends on pitch size and the type of activity. For full-squad sessions or large areas, you’ll typically need multiple units positioned evenly along the pitch edges. 8 lights will cover a 60x40 metre area (approx half a full sized football pitch), while 6 lights will illuminate a 5-a-side sized area.
How long will portable floodlights run for?
Battery technology has advanced significantly, and most modern portable floodlights use lithium-ion batteries. These are lightweight, quick to charge, and offer longer runtimes than older lead-acid types.
For example, a unit such as the RL20K will run for around 2 hours on full brightness with the 26AH battery, while the 52AH battery offers 4 hours of running time where double or triple sessions are ran back-to-back. For most training sessions, that’s plenty. Some clubs invest in spare batteries or rotate units to ensure they always have light available.
How easy are they to set up?
Ease of use is another major advantage of portable lighting. Clubs don’t need trained electricians on hand — the systems are designed to be assembled quickly.
Tripods extend to a height of around 3 metres, giving a good spread of light across the pitch. A single unit can be set up in a couple of minutes, making them ideal for training sessions straight after work or school.
Are portable lights durable enough for UK weather?
Outdoor equipment has to withstand rain, wind, and knocks from the ball. Portable floodlights are designed with this in mind, with IP65-rated enclosures for weather resistance and robust tripod designs for stability.
While they shouldn’t be left out permanently, they are more than capable of handling wet winter evenings and can be stored securely afterwards.
What about safety and portability?
Safety is a common concern, particularly around cables and stability. Rechargeable portable lights remove the need for noisy generators or long extension leads, reducing trip hazards. The units are also designed to stay balanced on uneven grass surfaces thanks to ground anchors.
Can grants help with funding?
Clubs often worry about cost, but there is support available. In the UK, some portable floodlights — including the RL20K — are approved for Football Foundation grants and other more local grants. This can significantly reduce the upfront expense, making it more feasible for smaller clubs to get started with training lights.
When should you look at mains-powered, fixed floodlighting?
Portable floodlights are excellent for training and flexibility, but they’re not a complete solution for every scenario. If your club regularly hosts evening matches at a higher standard of play, or if you’re working towards higher competitive standards, fixed floodlighting is essential.
Mains-powered systems provide consistent illumination across the full pitch and can achieve the lux levels required by league regulations. Unlike portable options, they can run indefinitely without worrying about battery life too.
Why are lighting designs so important for fixed systems?
One crucial step with fixed installations is ensuring the lighting meets the required standards for your level of play. Floodlight systems aren’t just about brightness — the uniformity of light and avoidance of glare on both the pitch and in neighbouring properties are equally important.
That’s why free lighting design services are available with all our fixed floodlight projects. A lighting design calculates the exact number, type, and positioning of floodlights needed to achieve the correct lux levels for your sport. This ensures compliance with FA, FIFA, or Sport England guidelines and avoids costly mistakes.
Which option is right for your club?
Portable floodlights are best suited for:
- Grassroots clubs training in the evenings
- Teams without planning permission or permanent facilities
- Multi-sport venues needing flexibility across many pitches
Fixed floodlights are best suited for:
- Clubs hosting competitive evening matches
- Facilities aiming for higher league compliance
- Pitches used heavily throughout the season
- Long-term investments where planning permission, larger budgets and infrastructure are possible
Final thoughts
Floodlighting is often the key to extending training and playing time during the darker months. Portable solutions, such as the RL20K, have made it possible for grassroots football and other sports to stay active without the hurdles of planning and high costs. For many community clubs, they’re the most practical choice.
However, when the goal is to meet competition standards or provide permanent all-weather illumination, a mains-powered fixed system is the way forward — and working from a free lighting design ensures the installation is done right first time.
Whichever route your club takes, the right lighting setup can make a huge difference to participation, performance, and enjoyment across the season.
As always, please contact us if you have any further questions and our expert team will be happy to guide you through the process.