Court Illumination

Adequate and correctly positioned lighting is required for FIP-compliant padel courts. The FIP rules specify where lights must be placed and the illumination standards for television broadcasts. See court dimensions for the court layout and court access for how the safety area around access gates affects light pole placement.

General Lighting Requirements

Artificial light must be:

• Uniform across the court
• Positioned so it does not cause visual difficulties for players, the umpiring team, or the audience

Light Pole Placement

• Light poles must be located outside the court
• If poles fall within the safety area outside the court, out-of-court play is not permitted in that section
• Lights must have a minimum height from the ground to the underside of the projectors of 6 metres
• For new facilities, the recommended minimum height is 8 metres when lights are installed inside the vertical projection of the court side walls; other heights may be used for lights installed outside the court walls

Television Broadcasts

For television broadcasts and film recording:

• A minimum vertical illumination of at least 1,000 lux is required
• This level may need to increase depending on the distance between the camera and the subject
• Specific broadcast illumination standards are detailed in the FIP Courts Homologation Annex

Full Lighting Specification

Detailed technical requirements (light uniformity ratios, colour rendering index, etc.) are published in the FIP Courts Homologation Annex, referenced by the main rules.