Sports Court Lighting

Line Marking Australia installs LED lighting for tennis, pickleball, basketball and multi-sport courts across Australia, at homes, schools, clubs and council parks. Every system is designed to the AS 2560 sports lighting standards, with light spill controlled under AS/NZS 4282. Lighting is quoted per site because poles, power and approvals vary.

Lights turn a court you can use for a few hours a day into one you can use every evening. For clubs, they mean night competitions and more members. For families, they mean a hit after work in winter.

Good court lighting is more than bright lights on poles. It has to light the ball evenly, avoid glare in players' eyes and keep light out of the neighbours' windows. Here's how we approach it.

What are the best tennis court lights?

The best tennis court lights in Australia are LED sports floodlights on poles placed along the sides of the court, aimed to light the playing area evenly without glare. LED fittings use less power than older metal halide lights, switch on instantly and can be dimmed or zoned, which suits both home and club courts.

What makes a good court lighting system:

• Even light across the court, so the ball doesn't disappear in dark patches
• Low glare for players looking up at lobs and serves
• Controlled spill with shielded, carefully aimed fittings
• Sensible controls such as timers, zones or club booking systems
• Durable poles and fittings rated for outdoor conditions

What is the Australian Standard for tennis court lighting?

Sports lighting in Australia is covered by the AS 2560 series, including AS 2560.1:2018 for general principles and AS 2560.2:2021, which deal with how sports areas should be lit. The obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting on neighbours, such as spill and glare, are covered separately by AS/NZS 4282. We design court lighting with both in mind.

Standard	What it covers	Why it matters for your court
AS 2560.1:2018	Sports lighting, general principles	Even, glare-controlled light for the level of play
AS 2560.2:2021	Sports lighting, part 2 of the series	Design guidance for lighting sports areas
AS/NZS 4282	Control of the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting	Limits light spill and glare onto neighbouring homes; often asked for by councils

Club and community tennis courts also follow Tennis Australia guidance. Competition courts usually need more light than a social backyard court, and we design for how the court will actually be used.

How do you light a pickleball court?

A pickleball court is lit the same way as a tennis court, with LED floodlights on poles beside the court, but the smaller 13.41 m by 6.10 m court means fewer poles per court. Several pickleball courts side by side can share poles. Even light matters because the ball is fast at the net.

When a tennis court is converted to pickleball, the existing light poles can sometimes stay, with the fittings upgraded to LED and re-aimed for the new courts. Read more on our tennis court to pickleball conversion page.

Do you need council approval for tennis court lights?

Tennis court lights often need council approval in Australia, especially on homes near neighbours, because of light spill, glare, pole height and hours of use. Councils commonly ask for a lighting design that shows spill is controlled under AS/NZS 4282. We check your council's requirements before you commit to a lighting design.

Things councils commonly look at:

• Light spill and glare onto neighbouring properties
• Pole height, location and setbacks
• Hours of use and noise from night play
• Heritage, flood or other overlays on the site

What power do court lights need?

Court lights need a dedicated electrical supply run from your switchboard or a new sub-board to each pole, usually through an underground conduit. Larger club and council installations may need a supply upgrade. The wiring is done by licensed electricians, and we run a Before You Dig Australia check before trenching for cables.

Things we check on site:

• Capacity of your existing switchboard and supply
• The trench route from the board to the court
• Underground services along that route
• Where controls, timers or switches should go

Where should light poles go around a court?

Light poles for a tennis or pickleball court usually go along the sides of the court, outside the playing area and run-off, often on the fence line. Side placement keeps glare out of players' eyes on serves and lobs. The number and height of poles depend on the court size and the level of play you want.

Poles sit on concrete footings designed for wind loads and soil conditions, built to AS 3600 for concrete structures. If you're installing new fencing too, we plan the poles and fence together. See our sports court fencing page.

Can you add lights to an existing court?

Yes. Lights can be added to most existing courts in Australia. We check where poles can go without damaging the court surface, how power will reach them and whether council approval is needed. Adding lights when you resurface or re-fence a court often saves money, because the work and access are already planned.

Old metal halide fittings can also be swapped for LED on existing poles if the poles are sound and in the right places.

How much do tennis court lights cost?

Tennis court lights in Australia are quoted per site, because the cost depends on the number and height of poles, the LED fittings, the distance from the switchboard, any supply upgrade, footings and council requirements. We itemise poles, fittings, electrical work and approvals so you can see each part of the price.

Clubs can often apply for grants. The Queensland Gambling Community Benefit Fund, for example, offers up to $35,000 for club projects including lighting, resurfacing and fencing.

How we keep every court lighting job compliant

Every court lighting job we deliver follows the standards and safety rules that apply to sports lighting, electrical trenching and work near homes and schools. These are the checks we build into court lighting work, so the lights work well for players and the neighbours, council and inspectors are satisfied too.

• AS 2560.1:2018 and AS 2560.2:2021 for sports lighting design
• AS/NZS 4282 to control light spill and glare onto neighbours
• Local council approval checked for lighting, pole heights and hours of use
• Before You Dig Australia check before trenching or footings
• AS 3600 for concrete pole footings
• Work Health and Safety laws with Safe Work Method Statements for high-risk construction work such as excavation and mobile plant
• Licensed trades who hold the licence your state requires, including licensed electricians, with public liability insurance
• School sites: work scheduled for school holidays where possible, with Working with Children checks for crews

What do you need from me to quote court lighting?

To quote court lighting, we need the court type and size, how the court will be used at night, where your switchboard is and what's around the court. A site plan or photos showing the court, the house or clubhouse and nearby neighbours help us plan poles and power. Tell us:

• Court type and sports played (tennis, pickleball, basketball, multi-sport)
• New court, existing court or upgrade from old lights
• Court size and number of courts
• Site type: home, school, club, council or strata
• Social play or night competition
• Distance from the switchboard and any known power limits
• Existing fencing and where poles could go
• Machinery access to the court
• Nearby neighbours and any council conditions
• Plans, photos and timing
• Your budget