Softball Field Lighting

A softball field of any size will provide a more enjoyable game for players and fans if lit with specification grade softball field lighting supplies, equipment, poles, and accessories. Although many organizations such as small municipalities and churches on tight budgets are often tempted to invest in cheaper retail grade luminaires and mounts, it never serves them in the long run. Cheaper equipment tends to break down more quickly, resulting in replacement costs. Retail grade softball field lights are also less energy efficient and require more electricity, and therefore more money, to frequently use. Many also fail to meet glare reduction and dark sky compliance codes, placing the organization that invests in them at risk of neighborhood complaints and/or possible fines.

With a proper understanding of the nature of the field itself, and with a strategic approach to fixture positioning, fewer poles and fixtures can light a softball field with better lighting than the majority of pre-fabricated sports lighting kits available on the open market. It is better to analyze a number of factors pertaining to the softball field itself, and then build a lighting system from the ground up. Because footcandle minimums are different for fast pitch, tournament play and recreational, slow pitch games, it is necessary to first determine the field’s primary use. Knowing this will help you calculate the specific number of poles and luminaires required to light the facility. Because energy codes are becoming increasingly strict throughout the nation, it is also necessary to choose softball field lights with superior lumens per wattage ratios in order to light more square footage with fewer physical components. This will go a long way toward providing clients on tight budgets with a return on investment in the form of reduced power costs. Optics technology is another important point to consider when it comes to creating the necessary glare free lighting that safe play and spectator comfort demands. Inferior optical reflectors often cast off too much spill light, blinding eyes and encroaching on surrounding neighborhoods. Dark sky laws have become increasingly strict in response to this, so it is a good idea to consult with an RLLD Commercial Lighting specialist who can help you weigh the best options available for your particular area, geography, and budgetary needs.

As a general rule, most recreational softball field lighting requires lower footcandle minimums for safe and enjoyable play. Since spectators are either limited in number, if not absent altogether, the goal is to provide the players themselves with glare free lighting so they can see the ball in play. A proper balance of vertical lighting and horizontal lighting can be easily achieved with a minimum of equipment. A single 400W softball lighting fixture installed near home plate is generally all that is necessary for lighting the infield, provided it is mounted correctly on a pole that measures the appropriate height. Ask one of our lighting specialists about poles and mounts best suited to smaller fields. For reflectors, it is also best to consult with a specialist on which optic measurement will be best suited to your needs. Because dark sky laws vary throughout the nation, and because sports facilities are often located in both urban and rural areas, anything from a type 2 to a type 6 anodized aluminum reflectors may be in order.

Tournament Softball Field Lighting is a bit more complex because it involves lighting not only for the players, but also for the fans. Footcandle levels must therefore be higher so all parties involved can see the ball in play without it appearing to “jump” or “hop” from point to point in mid-air. These fields tend to be larger, so they almost always require lights in the outfield as well as the infield. Inadequate lighting here will make the ball appear to hop mysteriously from point to point in mid-air, making the game difficult to follow. However, if fast pitch softball lights are not fitted with the proper reflectors, they will send glare into the eyes of spectators and players, and they could possibly generate complaints from neighbors and fine from dark sky regulatory authorities. The trick is to balance intensity against diffusion and precise distribution in order to avoid lighting one part of the field more than the other, and in order to avoid spilling light beyond the boundaries of the field itself.