ANSI IES RP-6-22 PDF

Full title and description

ANSI/IES RP-6-22 — Recommended Practice: Lighting Sports and Recreational Areas. Provides guidance and recommended practices for the design, performance, and evaluation of lighting for indoor and outdoor sports and recreational venues (baseball, football, tennis, basketball, multi‑use community facilities and similar). It covers visual needs for play, spectator requirements, broadcast considerations, glare control, color rendering, obtrusive light, and energy and life‑cycle considerations.

Abstract

This recommended practice offers designers, engineers, and facility owners recommended illuminance, uniformity, glare-control, aiming and mounting practices, and equipment considerations to create safe, effective and economical lighting for sports and recreational areas. It addresses classification of play levels, both indoor and outdoor venues, measurement and verification methods, and considerations for energy efficiency, controls, and environmental (light trespass/sky glow) impacts.

General information

• Status: Superseded (replaced by ANSI/IES RP-6:2024).
• Publication date: November 7, 2022.
• Publisher: Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).
• ICS / categories: Lighting engineering; sports and recreational facilities lighting; outdoor/indoor lighting design; energy and controls.
• Edition / version: ANSI/IES RP-6-22 (2022 edition).
• Number of pages: 98 pages (2022 edition).

Scope

RP-6-22 covers lighting requirements and recommendations for venues used for organized sport and recreational activities, including both indoor and outdoor fields, courts and multi‑use facilities. The scope includes classification of levels of play, target illuminance values for horizontal and vertical planes, uniformity and glare limits, color rendering guidance (CRI and TM‑30), equipment selection, aiming and mounting practices, measurement and verification procedures, and guidance on minimizing light trespass and sky glow. The document also discusses energy efficiency, controls, life‑cycle cost considerations, and issues specific to broadcast and spectator viewing.

Key topics and requirements

• Classification of venues and levels of play (Classes I–IV) with corresponding target illuminance and uniformity recommendations.
• Recommended maintained illuminance values for horizontal and vertical planes for a range of sports and competition levels.
• Uniformity metrics and minimum acceptable uniformity ratios (e.g., average/minimum and minimum/maximum guidance) to limit visual distraction and ensure player safety.
• Glare control, aiming methods, and floodlight aiming procedures to reduce discomfort and offsite impacts.
• Color rendering and color‑temperature guidance (CRI, TM‑30) for player performance and broadcast quality.
• Equipment considerations: luminaire selection, photometrics, mounting heights, aiming, and maintenance factors.
• Energy efficiency, controls (dimming, scheduling, remote monitoring), and lifecycle cost considerations.
• Measurement, verification and field‑testing procedures, including recommendations for maintained lighting levels and periodic re‑measurement.
• Guidance on obtrusive light, light trespass, and sky glow mitigation to limit offsite impacts and comply with local ordinances.

Typical use and users

RP-6-22 is used by lighting designers, electrical and civil engineers, stadium and facility managers, municipal planners, contractors, specification writers, luminaire manufacturers, testing laboratories, and broadcast engineers. It is referenced when specifying retrofit or new installations for parks, schools, universities, professional and amateur sports venues, and community recreation centers.

Related standards

Commonly referenced companion documents include other IES recommended practices and technical memoranda such as ANSI/IES RP-8 (Roadway and Parking Facilities), ANSI/IES RP-47 (Landscape Lighting), IES TM-37 (sky glow estimation), and lighting equipment and lamp standards (e.g., ANSI/IES LS‑1). RP-6 is part of the IES library of application‑specific recommended practices and is cross‑referenced by industry equipment and performance standards.

Keywords

sports lighting, stadium lighting, recreational lighting, illuminance, uniformity, glare control, color rendering, lighting controls, light trespass, floodlight aiming, RP-6, IES, ANSI.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ANSI/IES RP-6-22 is a Recommended Practice from the Illuminating Engineering Society that provides design guidance and performance recommendations for lighting sports and recreational areas.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers venue classification, target illuminance and uniformity values, glare control and aiming practices, color rendering guidance, equipment selection, energy and controls, measurement and verification procedures, and measures to limit obtrusive light and sky glow.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Lighting designers, electrical engineers, facility owners and managers, municipalities, contractors, manufacturers, and broadcasters use RP-6 for specifying, designing, installing, and verifying sports lighting systems.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: RP-6-22 (published November 7, 2022) has been superseded by ANSI/IES RP-6:2024; the 2024 edition is the current IES RP-6 document. Users specifying new work should consult the 2024 edition for the latest recommendations.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — RP-6 is part of the IES library of recommended practices and application documents (the RP series) that address specific lighting applications; it is frequently used alongside other IES RPs and technical memoranda.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Sports lighting, stadium lighting design, illuminance, uniformity, glare, color rendering, floodlight aiming, lighting controls, light trespass, IES RP‑6.