On leaving Marlborough College, Faulder Smith went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge and won his hockey blue in 1909 playing at outside-right in the match against Oxford. After University he joined Beckenham and also played for Blackheath, Lowestoft and the East before making his international début. He first played for England in 1911 and won a total of 26 caps in an international career which ended in 1921. He served as lieutenant in the army during the War and then followed his father, Sir Henry Smith, DL, JP, into the family business, serving as director of the textile manufacturers, Stapley & Smith, and the insurance brokers, Smith & Burns.