Portable Floodlights – Do’s and Don’ts
Whilst 3G pitches are becoming increasingly popular to meet the needs of clubs during the darker months, portable floodlights do offer an alternative solution to meet training needs during the autumn and winter.
Football Clubs are citing a variety of reasons for needing to use portable floodlights:
🟩 Limited availability of 3G facilities.
🟩 Clubs unwilling or unable to travel to other sites sometimes a distance away.
🟩 Unable to afford 3G training facilities.
The use of portable lights could negatively impact the quality of grass pitches due to overuse. We have produced a small list of key issues that need to be considered before a club should consider purchasing or using portable floodlights:
✅ Do:
◼️ Purchase purpose-built/manufactured portable floodlights.
◼️ Identify suitable areas for training on the site that are not on your match pitches.
◼️ Risk assess the usage of lights and implement any risks identified.
◼️ Frequently rotate the areas used for the training sessions as well as altering the locations within the areas that are used for drills. Utilise portable goals where possible.
◼️ Adapt training methods to the area available.
◼️ Add any area used to the club’s maintenance programme and increase the budget and working hours accordingly.
◼️ Allow for periods of rest and recovery – make any necessary repairs to the surface as soon as possible and monitor surface quality.
◼️ We recommend that areas should not have more than 3 hours of weekly usage in good weather If possible – line mark training grids so coaches and players know which area to use – this also allows for clear areas of rotation during the sessions.
◼️ Make the areas clear to all coaches and managers and instruct not to train anywhere else.
◼️ Follow manufacturers operational guidance for your lights – management, movement and ensuring they are secure.
◼️ Ensure you have the consent of the landowner to use the facility for training – some Local Authorities or Schools will prohibit the use of their site for training due to the increased wear and tear it may cause to their playing fields.
◼️ Whilst the training area may be well lit, make sure that you carry out a risk assessment on the rest of the facility to ensure it is safe to use during dark nights if car parks and other buildings are unlit.
◼️ Communicate with your existing training venue to ensure that they are aware of your plans in case they reopen, or local guidance changes. Facility providers may source alternative partners for their 3G pitches if you choose not to use them this winter – and cause issues for your Club if you try to rebook them in the future .
❌Don’t:
◼️ Make your own lights
◼️ Use lights powered by generators
◼️ Use pitches to train on
◼️ Use one area for training
◼️ Overuse areas or insist on training in adverse weather conditions
◼️ Allow footballs to be kicked at the lights
◼️ Do not leave children unsupervised while using the lights
◼️ Leave equipment out overnight – always store in a secure area, and make sure the equipment is suitably insured