Floodlights (sport)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The broad-beamed, strong artificial lights known as floodlights are often used to illuminate large or outdoor playing fields while a sports event is being held during low-light conditions. In the top tiers of many professional sports, it is a requirement for stadiums to have floodlights to allow games to be scheduled outside daylight hours. Evening or night matches may suit spectators who have work or other commitment earlier in the day. The main motivation for this is television marketing, especially in sports such as Gridiron which rely on TV rights money to finance the sport. Some sports grounds which do not have permanent floodlights installed may make use of portable temporary ones instead.

The first floodlit football league match took place at Fratton Park, Portsmouth on February 22, 1956 between Portsmouth and Newcastle United^[1].

Floodlights may cause light pollution.