What Lux Levels Does EN 12193 Require for Sports Field Lighting?
EN 12193 provides different lighting requirements according to the sport and lighting class . For outdoor football, the commonly referenced maintained horizontal illuminance levels are 500 lux for Class I, 200 lux for Class II, and 75 lux for Class III , with corresponding uniformity requirements of 0.70, 0.60, and 0.50.
EN 12193 Football Lighting Levels
| Lighting Class | Average Illuminance | Uniformity |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | 500 lux | ≥0.70 |
| Class II | 200 lux | ≥0.60 |
| Class III | 75 lux | ≥0.50 |
These levels should be treated as design references for the applicable sport and class , rather than assuming every football field requires 500 lux. The correct class depends on the level of competition and use of the facility.
What Do the Three Classes Mean?
In general, Class I is associated with higher-level competition, Class II with medium-level competition and training, and Class III with recreational or lower-level activities.
For example, an outdoor football training field may not require the same illuminance as a professional competition venue. The lighting specification should therefore be established before selecting the LED floodlight.
37SL for EN 12193 Sports Lighting
The FORTOMO 37SL is available from 600W to 1200W , providing a high-output solution for large football fields, stadiums, training grounds, and other sports facilities.
The correct wattage should not be selected simply from the required lux level. Designers should also consider:
- Field dimensions
- Pole height
- Pole locations
- Beam angle
- Luminaire quantity
- Aiming angles
- Maintenance factor
- Required uniformity
- Glare limitations
Use DIALux to Verify the Lighting Layout
For a professional EN 12193 project, the 37SL's actual photometric file should be imported into DIALux or another suitable lighting calculation program.
The designer can then model the field, poles, floodlight positions and aiming directions to determine whether the proposed layout achieves the required illuminance and uniformity.
For example, a Class I football field should not simply be specified as “500-lux lighting.” The design needs to demonstrate that the required average illuminance and uniformity are achieved across the relevant calculation area.
Lux Is Only One Part of the Design
EN 12193 addresses more than illuminance. Sports lighting design also needs to consider uniformity, glare, and colour properties , while broadcast projects may require additional vertical illuminance, flicker, colour and camera-related criteria.
This is particularly important for professional stadiums where lighting must support both players and spectators as well as television production.
Choosing 37SL for Large Sports Fields
The 37SL 600–1200W LED stadium floodlight provides high output for demanding outdoor applications. Its final power, quantity and optical configuration should be determined through the complete lighting calculation rather than by lux requirements alone.
For European sports projects, a practical design process is:
EN 12193 class → target lux and uniformity → 37SL power/optic → DIALux simulation → aiming adjustment → final verification
This approach helps ensure that the LED floodlighting system meets the project's actual performance requirements instead of relying on a simple wattage-to-lux calculation.