Tennis vs Pickleball
Is it possible to have a tennis court and two pickleball courts in the same court area and to properly illuminate both with pickleball lights? Yes, it is possible, and here’s how you can achieve it with the right pickleball lighting:
To set up a tennis court and two pickleball courts in the same area, begin by arranging the tennis court with its permanent net in the center. This permanent tennis net will not interfere with the pickleball courts. Next, position the two pickleball courts on either side of the tennis net, ensuring that both courts fit comfortably within the boundaries of the tennis court.
Pickleball is played using a temporary or removable net, which can be easily set up when needed and taken down after play. This flexibility allows the court to be used for both sports, although you cannot play tennis and pickleball simultaneously due to the net configurations and space requirements.
Proper illumination is essential for both tennis and pickleball. Ensure that you use high-quality pickleball lights designed to cover the entire court area adequately, providing clear visibility for players regardless of which sport is being played. Pickleball lights are crucial for evening or night play, ensuring the court is well-lit and safe for both tennis and pickleball activities. By installing pickleball lights, you can optimize your court space to accommodate both sports effectively, enhancing the playing experience for everyone.
Key Takeaways
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Multi-Sport Court Setup: A single area can accommodate a tennis court and two pickleball courts with the right layout and temporary nets, ensuring proper illumination with high-quality lights.
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Lighting Standards: Tennis courts need over 30 footcandles (fc) with a max/min ratio below 3.0. Pickleball courts require 30 fc with a stricter max/min ratio below 2.0 for better visibility.
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Environmental and Durability Considerations: Dark sky compliant lighting at 3000K minimizes light pollution. Durable APTA fixtures, rated for extreme conditions, ensure long-lasting performance.
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Tennis and Pickleball
Illuminating all three courts (one tennis court and two pickleball courts) properly is feasible and crucial for optimal play. For club-level lighting, a tennis court requires over 30 footcandles (fc) of light with a max/min ratio below 3.0. The max/min ratio measures the evenness of lighting on the court, calculated by dividing the maximum light level by the minimum light level. A lower max/min ratio indicates more uniform lighting, enhancing visibility and playability.
For pickleball, the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) standards also specify 30 fc, but with a stricter max/min ratio below 2.0. This lower ratio is necessary because the smaller pickleball is more challenging to see in motion, requiring more consistent lighting across the court.
By meeting these lighting standards for both sports, you ensure that players have a clear and even view of the court, improving performance and safety during play.
Tennis and Pickleball Court Lighting
The photometric study for these courts evaluates the lighting performance to ensure it meets the necessary standards for both tennis and pickleball. For the tennis court, designed to club-level standards, the study shows an average illumination of 34 footcandles (fc) with an impressively low max/min ratio of 1.73. This low ratio indicates that the lighting is exceptionally even, providing consistent visibility across the entire court, which would satisfy even the high standards of a country club.
For the pickleball courts, the lighting also exceeds the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) standards. The average illumination is 31 fc, and the max/min ratio is an impressive 1.68. This means that the lighting meets the required light level, and ensures extraordinary evenness, making the court well-lit and suitable for competitive play. This consistency in lighting helps players see the ball clearly, enhancing the overall playing experience.
Dark Sky Compliant Tennis and Pickleball Lights
From an environmental standpoint, the design of the lighting for the tennis and pickleball courts is dark sky compliant. This means the lighting minimizes light pollution, preserving the natural night sky. The photometric study specifies a color temperature of 3000 Kelvin (K), the maximum allowed for dark sky compliance. Lights at 3000K emit a warm, soft light that is less disruptive to wildlife and reduces glare and skyglow.
If environmental compliance is not a primary concern and a whiter, brighter light is preferred, higher Kelvin options are available. These higher Kelvin lights still feature a full cutoff design, directing light downward to minimize spill and glare. However, they will not meet Dark Sky compliance standards. Using higher Kelvin lighting can enhance visibility and provide a different aesthetic, but it may contribute more to light pollution compared to the 3000K compliant lights.
Tennis and Pickleball Court Light Fixtures
The sports luminaire used for these courts is an APTA. APTAs are IP66 rated which means they are submersible, and IK10 rated for impact. APTAs are EXTREME LIFE rated L70 @ 200,000 hours of life and provide over 300,000 lumens. They are quite durable too, as APTAs do not have glass lenses. There is nothing to shatter. If anything ever damaged an APTA, such as a flying piece of debris during a hurricane, in the unlikely case that one light module was destroyed, the remainder would stay on and APTAs are field repairable. APTAs are available in 2200K, 3000K, 4000K 5000K, and 5700K with an optional emergency power supply.
APTAs come with custom optics so they are purpose-built to meet the lighting requirements of the application. APTAs also have inexpensive options that enhance the performance. Recommended options for the APTA lights LED are as follows:
Backlight Shields – These stop the light from being emitted behind the poles. For a minimal cost it stops light pollution.
Bird Spikes – This stops birds from nesting on the top of the APTAs and reduces bird dropping on the courts. It also stops the nest from insulating the fixture and causing the fixture to retain heat.
Marine Grade Finish – This is a must for locations by the ocean. It increases the protection of the metal on the fixture.
Surge Protection – 10-Ka surge protection protects the driver from surges in the power grid. Surge protection protects the light fixtures in locations such as islands with unstable voltage and traditional industrial locations with voltage spikes.
Tennis Court and Pickleball Court Poles
Among the other pickleball kits and items offered, this lighting package uses (4) 20’ light poles. The choice of pole can be made of steel, aluminum, or fiberglass, and are available in different colors. Many poles need to be designed to withstand local conditions including wind speed and salt water. For example, a pickleball court in the Florida Keys has salt water come up and over the court during hurricanes. The poles had to be built to bolt down to existing bolts and withstand salt water. We manufactured fiberglass poles with bolt-down stainless steel bases to meet the requirements. Courts in the Cayman Islands required poles that would not degrade in salt air, could only be bolted down to attach to solid rock terrain, and had to withstand 180mph winds. Again the solution was fiberglass poles.
Additional Pickleball Court LED Lighting Resources
- Dark Sky Compliant Solar Pickleball Court Lights
- Pickleball Court Lighting: A Growing Phenomenon
- Solar Pickleball Lighting
- Pickleball Court With Lights in Texas
- Pickleball Court Lighting Cost – Solar vs Grid-Connected LED Lights
- Lights for Pickleball Court in California
- Full Cutoff Solar Pickleball Court Lighting Design
Conclusion
Combining tennis and pickleball courts in a single area is both practical and efficient when utilizing proper lighting design. High-quality, dark sky compliant lights ensure clear visibility and safety for both sports, enhancing the playing experience. Durable fixtures like APTA luminaires offer long-lasting reliability and performance, even in extreme conditions. By following these guidelines, you can create a versatile and environmentally friendly sports facility that meets the highest standards for both tennis and pickleball.
Pickleball Lights Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You have Pickleball Court Lighting questions. We have answers. If you have a question that isn’t answered below, contact an Access Fixtures lighting specialist at (800) 468-9925 or click here to visit our customer service page.
Can you play tennis and pickleball simultaneously on the same court?
No, due to net configurations and space requirements, simultaneous play is not possible.
What are the lighting standards for tennis courts?
Tennis courts need over 30 footcandles (fc) with a max/min ratio below 3.0.
What are the lighting standards for pickleball courts?
Pickleball courts require 30 fc with a max/min ratio below 2.0.
What does dark sky compliant mean?
Dark sky compliant lighting minimizes light pollution, using a maximum color temperature of 3000 Kelvin (K). This helps preserve the natural night sky, reduces glare, and is less disruptive to wildlife.
What are APTA luminaires?
APTA luminaires are durable, IP66 rated, extreme life-rated lighting fixtures designed for sports. They are submersible, field-repairable, and feature custom optics to meet specific lighting needs.
What additional options are available for APTA fixtures?
Recommended options include backlight shields to prevent light pollution, bird spikes to stop birds from nesting and reduce heat retention, marine-grade finishes for coastal protection, and surge protection for areas with unstable power grids.
What materials are used for lighting poles in various conditions?
Although not kept in stock, you can choose between a steel pole, aluminum pole, or fiberglass pole depending on project requirements. They are customized to withstand local conditions such as wind speed and saltwater exposure, ensuring durability and stability. Access Fixtures provides lighting brackets, poles, and mounts to suit your project needs.
How do you achieve proper illumination for both tennis and pickleball courts?
Use high-quality pickleball lighting designed to cover the entire court area adequately. This ensures clear visibility and safety for both sports, enhancing the overall playing experience.
What are the benefits of dark sky compliant lighting?
Dark sky compliant lighting reduces light pollution, preserves the natural night sky, and minimizes disruption to wildlife. It also reduces glare and skyglow, creating a more pleasant and sustainable environment.
Why is a lower max/min ratio important for lighting?
A lower max/min ratio ensures more uniform lighting across the court. This enhances visibility and playability by reducing shadows and glare, providing a consistent lighting experience for players.