How Is Trampoline Court Lighting Designed for Competition?

The engineer starts with illuminance targets: recreational courts typically aim for 30 to 50 foot-candles maintained on the bed surface, while competition and televised events need more, with vertical illuminance on the surrounding walls so judges and cameras see cleanly. These are maintained values — the design accounts for lamp lumen depreciation and dirt accumulation over time, not day-one output. Layout modeling places fixtures on the structural grid to hit both the average and the uniformity ratio. High-bay LED fixtures in the 150 to 200 watt range, spaced to overlap their distributions, are the usual answer; the model verifies uniformity point by point across every bed. The engineer also checks the walls: light-colored padding and walls raise the effective ambient level and soften contrast, while dark theming (common in FECs) absorbs light and forces higher fixture output.

Glare is evaluated from the jumper's perspective — a viewpoint most lighting software doesn't default to. The engineer checks unified glare ratings and, more practically, keeps bare bright sources out of the upward sight lines with shielded optics and careful aiming. Indirect components, like washing the ceiling with a separate layer, can raise ambient light without putting bright points in anyone's eyes. Protection is mechanical. Safety cables on every fixture over the courts, polycarbonate lenses or wire guards, and mounts that won't loosen under years of structural vibration. The engineer also specifies high-frequency LED drivers to eliminate visible flicker and stroboscopic effects — at bounce frequencies, a flickering light source can make a moving bed look stationary, which is a genuine disorientation hazard.

Use this checklist during design development: • Maintained illuminance targets set for recreation, competition, and event modes • Photometric model verifying uniformity across every trampoline bed • Glare evaluated from the jumper's upward viewpoint with shielded optics specified • High-frequency LED drivers specified to eliminate flicker and stroboscopic effects • Safety cables, impact-rated lenses, and vibration-rated mounting on every court fixture • Controls zoned separately: courts, viewing, party rooms, and circulation • Dimming scenes programmed for open jump, classes, competition, and private events • Emergency lighting integrated so egress paths and exits stay lit on normal power loss