Recreational soccer practice among adults, in Brazilian capitals, 2011-2015

to describe the profile of recreational adult soccer players who lived in the Brazilian capitals in the period from 2011 to 2015.

descriptive study with a sample of adults interviewed by the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey - VIGITEL (2011 to 2015).

11.812 adults (11.375 men and 437 women) pointed to soccer as their main leisure physical exercise, with higher prevalence in the North region (32%) and lower in the South region (10%) of the country; the average reduction of soccer players 3.4% for every 5 years over age (95%CI 2.9;4.1); from 2011 to 2015, there was decrease in the number of soccer players, -1.4% per year (95%CI -0,7;2,2).

the practice of soccer was predominantly male, presented an inverse relationship with the increase of age, more prevalent in the Northern region and less prevalent in the Southern region.