Faire de vs jouer a

Bonjour Carol, 

Although there will be exceptions, you might find this guide useful -

 

Jouer à (to play)

Use with team sports and games that have opponents or rules:

Jouer au football (soccer)

Jouer au basketball

Jouer au tennis

Jouer aux échecs (chess)

Jouer aux cartes (cards)

Jouer aux jeux vidéo (video games)

 

Faire de (to do/practice)

Use with individual sports and physical activities:

Faire du ski (skiing)

Faire de la natation (swimming)

Faire du yoga

Faire de la danse (dance)

Faire du vélo (cycling)

Faire de l'escalade (climbing)

Quick Rule of Thumb:

Team sports/games with competition → jouer à

Individual activities/exercise → faire de

Common Exceptions:

Faire de l'équitation (horseback riding) - uses "faire de" even though it could be competitive

Jouer au golf - uses "jouer à" even though it's often individual

Some sports can use either depending on context, but these guidelines work for the vast majority of cases!