What AS 2560 actually requires, why non-compliant sports lighting is a liability, and what to check before you sign off on a lighting design.
If you're responsible for a sports lighting project — as a council officer, school facilities manager or club committee member — three characters should be on every document you sign: AS 2560. It's the Australian Standard that governs sports lighting, and whether your project complies with it determines everything from player safety and insurance exposure to whether your grant application gets funded.Here's what it actually covers, in plain English.
What is AS 2560?
AS 2560 is the Australian Standard for sports lighting. It's published in parts: AS 2560.1 covers general principles that apply to all outdoor sports lighting, and the AS 2560.2 series sets out specific requirements sport by sport — tennis, football codes, netball and basketball, hockey, bowls, athletics and more.For each sport, the standard specifies requirements across several dimensions:
Illuminance (lux levels) — how much light must fall on the playing surface, which varies by the level of play. Social and training use requires less light than club competition, which requires less than semi-professional or televised play.
Uniformity — light must be even across the surface. A field that averages the right lux but has bright patches and dark corners fails the standard, and it's the dark corners where players get hurt.
Glare control — fittings must be aimed and shielded so players, officials and spectators aren't blinded looking toward the light.
Light spill and obtrusive light — limits on light escaping the venue into neighbouring properties and roads, which ties into AS 4282 (control of the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting). For venues near housing, this is often the issue that makes or breaks development approval.
Why compliance isn't optional
Player safety and liability
Lighting that doesn't meet the standard for the activity being played is a documented risk. If a player is injured on a poorly or unevenly lit surface, the venue operator's compliance position will be one of the first things examined. Councils and schools in particular carry this exposure directly.
Insurance and duty of care
Venue insurers increasingly expect lighting to be designed and certified to the relevant standard. A certified AS 2560 design is cheap insurance in the most literal sense.
Competition sanctioning
State and national sporting bodies commonly require venues to meet specific AS 2560 lux levels before night competition can be sanctioned. Plenty of clubs have installed lighting only to discover it's bright enough for training but not for the graded competition they actually built it for. That's an expensive conversation — and an entirely avoidable one.
Grants and tenders
Almost every government funding program asks for evidence the proposed lighting meets AS 2560 for the intended sport and level of play. Tender assessors for council projects check for it in the first pass. No compliant design, no funding.
Training vs competition: the distinction that matters most
The single most common (and costly) mistake in community sports lighting is designing to the wrong level of play. The lux difference between training-level and competition-level lighting is substantial — often double or more — and it flows through to the number of fittings, pole positions and total project cost.The right approach is to decide before design begins what the venue realistically needs now and within the next decade. Modern LED systems can also be designed with switchable modes — training level for weeknights, full competition level for match days — which saves energy without compromising compliance.
What to ask before you sign off on a lighting design
Whether you're comparing quotes or reviewing a tender submission, these five questions separate professional lighting providers from the rest:
Which part of AS 2560 does this design comply with, and at what level of play? The answer should be specific — sport, standard reference and lux class.
Can you provide the photometric design report? A genuine design includes computer-modelled lux plots showing illuminance and uniformity across the surface.
How is light spill controlled? Especially critical near residential areas.
Will you certify compliance after installation? Design compliance means little if the installed result isn't verified.
Is the electrical work certified? Sports lighting is high-mounted, high-load electrical infrastructure — installation must be performed by licensed electricians with the appropriate certifications.
Compliance is our baseline, not an extra
Every lighting design Sydney Sports Lighting produces is modelled and documented against the relevant part of AS 2560 — including photometric reports suitable for grant applications, council submissions and tenders. It's how councils, schools and clubs around Australia get projects approved, funded and safely delivered. Explore our full lighting capabilities.
Get a compliant lighting design for your venue
We model and document every design against AS 2560 — with photometric reports ready for council submissions, tenders and grant applications.Talk to us about a compliant designor call 1300 023 224
Frequently asked questions
What is the Australian Standard for sports lighting?
AS 2560 is the Australian Standard for sports lighting. Part 1 covers general principles; the Part 2 series specifies lux levels, uniformity and glare requirements for individual sports.
What lux level is required for sports fields in Australia?
It depends on the sport and level of play. AS 2560 sets different illuminance classes for training, club competition and higher-level play — competition lighting typically requires substantially more light than training. A photometric design confirms the requirement for your specific venue.
Do sports lighting projects need council approval?
Frequently, yes — particularly for new poles or venues near residential areas, where light spill limits under AS 4282 apply. A compliant photometric design is normally required as part of the approval process.
Who certifies sports lighting compliance?
Your lighting designer or installer should model the design against AS 2560 and verify the installed system meets it. Always ask for the photometric report and post-installation verification.
Sources
AS 2560 — Sports lighting (Parts 1 and 2 series). Standards Australia.
AS 4282 — Control of the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting. Standards Australia.
