What does cross-lighting mean in sports lighting?

It means arranging useful illumination from separated directions so a surface shaded from one direction can still receive light from another. The design needs appropriate source positions, optics and aiming. Crossing beams on a drawing alone does not establish good player visibility, soft shadows or acceptable glare.

Does cross-lighting eliminate all player shadows?

No. Players move, turn and block different light paths. Several directions can fill some shadows, but the outcome depends on the geometry and relative contributions. UEFA’s player-shadow guidance notes that four-corner tower arrangements cannot consistently produce soft shadows throughout the pitch. Assess the real layout rather than promising a shadow-free venue.

Why does the article compare 300 + 300 lx with 500 + 100 lx?

Both assumed cases give 600 lx at one unobstructed horizontal point. If the stronger direction is fully blocked, the equal case retains 300 lx while the unequal case retains 100 lx. This simplified direct-light arithmetic illustrates directional dependence. It excludes partial blockage and reflected light and is not a product test, site simulation or required lighting level.

Can cross-lighting increase glare?

Yes. Adding a lighting direction can put another bright source in a player’s view. Evaluate source positions, optics, shielding and aiming alongside the intended shadow improvement. A lower shadow contrast does not demonstrate a lower glare result. Keep required observer positions and operating scenes consistent when comparing revisions.

Why is vertical illuminance important?

Horizontal illuminance describes light on the pitch plane. Vertical calculations describe light on defined vertical planes facing specified directions, which is relevant to player and camera visibility. Set the plane height and orientation explicitly. Neither a high horizontal average nor a single vertical direction proves that all player orientations are adequately lit.

Is there a universal cross-lighting angle?

No. The appropriate geometry depends on mounting positions, heights, optics, sightlines and the venue brief. UEFA face-modelling guidance describes problems caused by steep incident light, but its geometry should not be reduced to a universal angle for every site. Model the actual layout and check useful illumination together with glare.

What evidence should be retained after a cross-lighting revision?

Keep the exact photometric files, equipment configuration, mounting coordinates, aiming and dimming schedule, calculation planes and observers. Compare the required illuminance, uniformity, glare and boundary results with the approved brief. During commissioning, confirm the installed aiming and examine player visibility in the intended scenes. A case reporting average lux is not proof of a quantified shadow improvement.

Cross-Lighting: Shadow Control Without Added Glare

2026-11-04

Contents

1. Start With the Direction of the Missing Light
2. Understand How Cross-Lighting Fills a Shadow
3. Control the New Sightlines Before Adding Output
4. Calculate Vertical Light as Well as Pitch Lux
5. Keep the Shadow and Glare Evidence Together
6. Technical Sources

1.Start With the Direction of the Missing Light

A football pitch can look bright from the stand while a player’s face disappears into shadow as the player turns. In this illustrative situation, adding output from the same direction may increase pitch lux without improving the shaded side. Cross-lighting supplies useful light from separated positions so another direction can reach surfaces that one player or object blocks.

Illustrative football training ground at dusk with players receiving white light from corner-mounted floodlights — Light direction shapes player visibility

The aim is controlled directional coverage, not simply more overlapping beams. The CPS article on sports lighting beam overlap explains why extra overlap can also produce hot spots. Start by identifying the affected player positions, viewing directions and operating scene. Then decide which lighting group can fill the missing direction without placing a bright source in a critical sightline.

2.Understand How Cross-Lighting Fills a Shadow

Light contributions add at a specified surface. If one direction is blocked, an unblocked direction can still illuminate that surface. The table uses deliberately simplified direct-light examples at one horizontal point. It excludes reflected light and partial blockage. These are teaching calculations, not a simulation of a player, CPS product measurements or a target lux level.

Both unblocked examples total 600 lx, but they respond differently when the dominant direction is removed. This shows why equal average illuminance does not establish equal shadow control. Real bodies block light differently as they move. Designers need a spatial layout and suitable visibility checks, rather than assuming that a two-direction arrangement always retains half its light.

Teaching example	Assumed direct contribution	What the designer should notice
Unobstructed point	300 lx + 300 lx = 600 lx	Same assumed horizontal plane and operating scene
One direction fully blocked	0 lx + 300 lx = 300 lx	50% of the assumed unblocked total remains
Unequal contributions	500 lx + 100 lx = 600 lx	Blocking the stronger direction leaves only 100 lx
Design acceptance	Eh, directional Ev, uniformity and glare	The arithmetic alone proves none of these across a venue

3.Control the New Sightlines Before Adding Output

Every added direction can introduce another visible bright source. CIE 112 describes outdoor glare as depending on distribution, aiming, arrangement, mounting height and the brightness of the illuminated area. Cross-lighting can therefore improve a shaded surface while worsening glare from another observer position. A successful revision needs both checks; a softer-looking shadow is not evidence of lower glare.

Review source positions from player and goalkeeper viewpoints before increasing driver output. Use suitable optics, shielding and aiming to deliver the required fill. The Dubhe 1000W floodlight has multiple optical and mounting options, so calculations must identify the exact proposed assembly. The CPS guide to floodlight aiming errors shows why a small aiming change can shift useful coverage and create an unwanted bright area.

CPS Dubhe modular LED floodlight showing multiple optical modules and an adjustable mounting bracket — Match optics to each direction

4.Calculate Vertical Light as Well as Pitch Lux

A horizontal grid measures illumination on the pitch plane. It cannot describe every face orientation or camera direction. Define the required vertical illuminance planes and their orientations, then compare the same geometry and operating scenes before and after the change. The CPS calculation-plane guide explains why height and direction belong in the model specification.

UEFA’s 2023 player-shadow guidance recommends contributions from multiple locations and warns that four-corner tower arrangements cannot consistently produce soft shadows everywhere. Its face-modelling guidance also explains how steep incident light can deepen eye and nose shadows. Those observations support checking the actual geometry. They do not prescribe one universal cross-lighting angle or a fixed balance between opposing groups.

5.Keep the Shadow and Glare Evidence Together

The CPS Grade III high-pole football project reports a four-corner arrangement with 18 m lifting poles and average illuminance above 550 lx after commissioning. This is a real installation example, not a controlled cross-lighting comparison. The published figures do not establish a shadow-reduction percentage or prove that every viewpoint has the same visual comfort.

For a proposed revision, preserve matching photometry, mounting coordinates, aiming groups, dimming settings and observer definitions in the lighting calculation report. Check horizontal and directional vertical results, uniformity, glare and relevant boundaries. UEFA’s glare procedure uses 96 observer positions at 1.75 m with viewing directions assessed every 15°. Its below-eye-level scope also means upward ball-tracking sightlines need separate review. After installation, confirm the actual aiming and inspect visibility in the intended operating scenes.