According to recent data by Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS), football participation in the U.K. peaks in popularity among 6-13s, with more than a third playing. From this point the percentage of participants drops steadily to 13 percent at age 18. It holds steady between 25 and 44, and finally falls to less than 1 percent at age 65. Young footballers are the most frequent players in the U.K., averaging around 50 times per year up to the age of 18, after which the play frequency declines to 20-30 times a year. The overall average play frequency is 37 times a year, giving a total number of 194 million play occasions annually. Football in the U.K. attracts 3.5 percent of adult females, as compared to 1.3 percent for cricket and 0.5 percent for hockey. These figures are contained in SMS's International Participation Report, which covers adult and junior participation in a range of sports in 21 countries over a two-year cycle. 

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