UEFA requires all venues which could potentially host a televised match to have their pitch illuminance systems assessed. Such illuminance tests must be carried out in accordance with UEFA’s guidelines, to ensure a consistent and objective analysis of the lighting conditions.
The illuminance test procedure and requirements are detailed below.
Inspection equipment
The illuminance meter used for the test should be suitable for a floodlighting environment, with a wide-angle receptive light sensor, and should be recalibrated annually.
Test procedure
A football pitch measures 68m by 105m. This area is divided up into a grid containing 96 points. An illuminance test is carried out at each of these points to measure the horizontal illuminance and the vertical illuminance from four different angles. Thus, the test will require 480 illuminance measurements in total. Please ensure that the correct orientation is used when marking out the grid positions. The orientation can be seen in the pitch orientation plan on Horizontal illuminance grid plan.
Care should be taken when recording illuminance readings: the illuminance meter should always be positioned at the correct angle for the intended measurement. Personnel carrying out the test must not create any shadows that could impinge upon the illuminance meter. The meter should be 1m above the playing surface.
The illuminance reading for each grid point should be recorded on the relevant illuminance grid plan.
It is important for all five reference planes to be tested during the illuminance test and the results submitted in the test report. The five reference planes comprise one horizontal plane and four vertical planes.
Horizontal test:
The meter is positioned facing upwards, 1m above the playing surface, and parallel to the pitch, at each grid point.
Vertical test:
The meter is positioned perpendicular to the pitch, 1m above the playing surface, at each grid point. The meter should then be adjusted for each of the four test positions. The test positions are indicated on the vertical illuminance grid plan (Vertical illuminance grid plan) and are at 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°. This procedure should be repeated at all 96 grid points.