LED Lighting for 5-a-Side & 7-a-Side Football Pitches – Design Guide & Typical Layouts

Lighting a 5-a-side or 7-a-side football pitch requires more than installing several high-wattage floodlights around the field. The design must balance horizontal illuminance, uniformity, ball visibility, player comfort, glare control and spill light toward nearby homes or roads.

Because small-sided pitches have shorter throw distances than full-size football fields, they can often use lower mounting heights and lower fixture power. However, poor pole positioning or unsuitable beam angles can still create bright hotspots, dark corners and direct glare.

This guide explains the typical dimensions, maintained lux targets, pole layouts, fixture directions and beam-angle combinations used when planning LED lighting for 5-a-side and 7-a-side football pitches.

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1. Typical pitch dimensions for 5-a-side and 7-a-side

Sizes vary by country and operator, but these ranges are common:

5-a-side football

• Length: 25–42 m (often around 30–35 m)
• Width: 15–25 m (often around 18–22 m)
• Many are enclosed “cage” pitches with high side netting or boards.

7-a-side football

• Length: 45–60 m (commonly 50–55 m)
• Width: 25–40 m (commonly 30–35 m)
• Can be standalone or part of a larger complex.

Before design, confirm:

• Exact pitch size
• Whether it is indoor or outdoor
• Height of the surrounding fence / net
• Distance to nearby houses and roads

These details will guide pole positions and glare control.

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2. Recommended lighting levels

For most 5- and 7-a-side projects, the goal is recreational / commercial play, not professional TV.

Practical maintained values:

5-a-side

• Training / commercial use:
  • Average horizontal illuminance (Eh,avg): 200–300 lux
  • Uniformity (Emin / Eavg): ≥ 0.5

7-a-side

• Training / community matches:
  • Eh,avg: 200–300 lux
  • Uniformity: ≥ 0.5–0.6

Some premium commercial centres may target 300–500 lux for a more “stadium-like” feel, but going far above this often creates glare and neighbour complaints.

You can cross-check these levels with your
Football & Soccer Field Lighting Standards (2026 Practical Guide)

Design Note: The lux levels, fixture quantities and layouts in this guide are preliminary planning directions, not fixed project specifications. Final design should be based on the exact pitch dimensions, pole positions, mounting height, surface conditions, surrounding properties, required uniformity and applicable local requirements.

5-a-Side and 7-a-Side Football Pitch Lighting Selection Table

Pitch Type	Typical Lighting Goal	Recommended Product Direction
5-a-side community pitch	Even recreational lighting, lower glare and safe after-work play.	LED Flood Light products
5-a-side commercial cage pitch	Higher brightness, better uniformity and controlled spill light.	LED Sports Light products
7-a-side school pitch	Training, PE classes, community evening matches and lower maintenance.	LED Sports Light products
Premium small-sided football center	Commercial operation, strong ball visibility and repeat evening use.	LST Stadium Light Series

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3. Pole layouts for 5-a-side pitches

Because 5-a-side pitches are short and narrow, we usually want:

• Simple layouts
• Low to medium pole heights
• Good glare control for players and neighbours

3.1 Classic 4-pole layout (most common)

• One pole at each corner
• Mounting height: 6–10 m
• 2–3 fixtures per pole, aimed diagonally across the pitch

Typical LED setup:

• 8–12 × 150–250 W LED sports floodlights
• Mix of 30–60° optics
• Visors on fixtures facing nearby houses

Pros:

• Easy to build and wire
• Good for open sites and basic cage pitches

3.2 Side-pole layout (for narrow sites)

• Two or three poles per long side
• Mounting height: 8–12 m
• Fixtures aimed mostly across the pitch, not along it

Pros:

• Better control of glare toward spectators along the ends
• Useful when corners are blocked by buildings

When pitches are very close to residential windows, side-pole layouts often work better for glare and spill control, For pitches close to residential windows or roads, review our glare and spill control guide for community football fields.

Related Football Pitch Lighting Resources

• Football & Soccer Field Lighting Standards
• Stadium Lighting Design Guide
• Beam Angle for Stadium Lighting
• Community Football Field Lighting Cost
• How to Control Glare in LED Stadium Lighting Projects
• Contact REITA

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4. Pole layouts for 7-a-side pitches

7-a-side fields are closer to a half-size football pitch, so we use slightly higher poles and more fixtures.

Common options:

4.1 4-pole layout

• One pole near each corner
• Mounting height: 10–15 m
• 3–4 fixtures per pole

Suitable for:

• Simple community fields
• Sites without strict glare restrictions

4.2 6-pole layout (recommended for better uniformity)

• Three poles on each long side
• Mounting height: 10–16 m depending on surroundings
• 2–3 fixtures per pole

Benefits:

• More even light along the touchlines
• Lower wattage per fixture
• Easier to control glare by distributing light

For more information about mounting height, pole positions and layout geometry, read the Sports Lighting Pole Height and Layout Guide.

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5. Choosing LED floodlights and optics

Small pitches are a perfect match for your 200–400 W LED stadium lights.

Key points when selecting fixtures:

1. Power range

• 5-a-side: mostly 150–250 W fixtures
• 7-a-side: 200–400 W fixtures depending on pole height and target lux

2. Optics

Use a mix of beam angles:

• Narrow / medium (20–40°) for cross-pitch aiming from higher poles
• Wider (60°) for near-pole zones and side areas

3. IP and corrosion

• Outdoor cage pitches often use metal fences – choose IP66 fixtures with good powder coating and stainless screws.
• For coastal sites, use marine-grade finish when possible.

4. Glare control

• Avoid aiming fixtures directly into players’ faces down the centre line.
• Use visors / shields on fixtures facing neighbouring houses or roads.
• For commercial centres, keep mounting heights high enough to allow flatter aiming.

Recommended REITA product directions for small-sided football pitches include:

• 200W Stadium Light – HID Replacement Sports LED
  
• 400W LED Stadium Light for Schools & Community Fields
  

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6. Indoor versus outdoor 5-a-side centres

Many 5-a-side pitches are built indoors or under partial roofs.

Indoor centres

• Use linear LED fixtures or compact floodlights mounted on the roof structure
• Typical mounting heights: 6–12 m
• Requirements:
  • 4,000–5,000 K
  • CRI ≥ 80 (≥ 90 for TV)
  • Flicker-free drivers for slow-motion cameras
• Avoid placing fixtures where players see the LEDs when they look up to head the ball.

Outdoor covered pitches

• Roofs can reflect light and help uniformity, but also create glare if fixtures are too low
• Treat them more like indoor halls in your design software (reflectances, surfaces)

For venues using livestreaming, coaching cameras or slow-motion recording, review the Flicker-Free LED Stadium Lighting Guide.

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7. Typical LED retrofit examples

Example 1 – Outdoor 5-a-side cage pitch

• Pitch size: 30 × 18 m
• 4 poles at corners, 8 m height
• Target: 250 lux average

Typical LED solution:

• 8 × 200 W LED sports floodlights (2 per pole)
• 30° + 60° beam mix
• Top visors on fixtures facing neighbours
• Two lighting scenes: Training (70%) / Match (100%)

Example 2 – Outdoor 7-a-side pitch

• Pitch size: 50 × 30 m
• 6 poles (3 per long side), 12 m height
• Target: 250–300 lux average

Typical LED solution:

• 12 × 300–400 W LED floodlights (2 per pole)
• Combination of 30° and 45° optics
• Good uniformity for community league matches
• Optional third scene: Low-level training at 50–60%

Real quantities will depend on colour of the surface, surroundings and local standards, so a proper AGi32 or DIALux design is always recommended.

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8. Operation, maintenance and energy savings

Even for small pitches, it helps to plan ahead:

• Use dimming to offer different scenes and reduce energy during low-traffic hours.
• Schedule regular inspections of poles, brackets, wiring and surge protection. Use the LED Stadium Lighting Maintenance Checklist as a maintenance reference.
  

Compared with old 400–1000 W metal halide systems, a well-designed LED setup can:

• Reduce connected power and operating cost, depending on the existing system and final LED design
• Eliminate lamp warm-up and restrike time
• Reduce maintenance, which is especially valuable for commercial operators with tight schedules

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9. Summary and call to action

5-a-side and 7-a-side pitches may be smaller than full stadiums, but they are serious business.
The right LED lighting:

• Makes your venue attractive for evening bookings
• Reduces energy and maintenance cost
• Keeps neighbours happy with controlled glare and light spill

If you operate or build small-sided football pitches and are considering an LED upgrade, you can send us:

• Pitch dimensions and simple layout
• Photos showing current poles and surroundings
• Your target level (recreational, commercial centre, local league)

We can prepare AGi32 / DIALux layouts and recommend the ideal combination of 200–400 W LED sports floodlights, based on real projects in Europe and Latin America.