Yard

A yard is the standard unit of measurement in American football, equivalent to 36 inches or 3 feet. The grid of 1-yard intervals delineating the football field is vital to the sport because the ball’s progress is measured in yards. The offensive team must advance the ball by at least 10 yards in four downs (plays) to retain possession.

Away from the field, the yard lines assist spectators, players, and officials in monitoring the ball’s location and the game’s progression. As an illustration, a team has acquired 10 yards if it initiates a play from its 20-yard line and advances the ball to the 30-yard line.

Additionally, yardage is employed as a metric to assess the performance of specific players, including the yardage accumulated by a running back or thrown by a quarterback. This metric is critical to the scoring and strategy of the game.