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What is a yard?

Used in American football, British cricket and Anglo-Saxon textiles

Definition

The yard equals 0.9144 meters exactly, or 3 feet. It is the standard field unit in American football (100-yard field) and British cricket (22-yard pitch). Fabric and textile in Anglo-Saxon countries is still sold by the yard. Historically the yard was said to be the length of King Henry I of England's arm.

Common uses

  • American football field (100 yards end-to-end)
  • Cricket pitch length (22 yards, one chain)
  • Fabric and carpeting sold by the yard in the US and UK

🌍 Real-world scale

An NFL football field is 100 yards = 91.44 metres. A cricket pitch is 22 yards = 20.12 metres.

Convert from yards

14 conversions
Yard to Meter1 yd = 0.9144 mYard to Kilometer1 yd = 0.0009144 kmYard to Centimeter1 yd = 91.44 cmYard to Millimeter1 yd = 914.4 mmYard to Mile1 yd = 0.0005682 miYard to Foot1 yd = 3 ftYard to Inch1 yd = 36 inYard to Nautical Mile1 yd = 0.0004937 nmiYard to Micrometer1 yd = 914,400 µmYard to Nanometer1 yd = 914,400,000 nmYard to Light Year1 yd = 9.6652e-17 lyYard to Furlong1 yd = 0.004545 furYard to Fathom1 yd = 0.5 ftmYard to Angstrom1 yd = 9,144,000,000 Å

Convert to yards

14 conversions
Meter to Yard1 m = 1.09361 ydKilometer to Yard1 km = 1,093.61 ydCentimeter to Yard1 cm = 0.01094 ydMillimeter to Yard1 mm = 0.001094 ydMile to Yard1 mi = 1,760 ydFoot to Yard1 ft = 0.3333 ydInch to Yard1 in = 0.02778 ydNautical Mile to Yard1 nmi = 2,025.37 ydMicrometer to Yard1 µm = 1.0936e-6 ydNanometer to Yard1 nm = 1.0936e-9 ydLight Year to Yard1 ly = 1.0346e16 ydFurlong to Yard1 fur = 220 ydFathom to Yard1 ftm = 2 ydAngstrom to Yard1 Å = 1.0936e-10 yd

Tips

  • 1 yard = 3 feet exactly = 0.9144 m — it is slightly shorter than a metre (by about 9 cm).
  • For an instant metric estimate, treat 1 yard ≈ 1 metre; the 9 cm difference is negligible for rough distances.
  • Golf course yardages are always in yards in Europe and the US.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a 100-yard football field is 100 m — it is 8.56 m shorter.
  • Confusing linear yards (fabric length) with square yards (carpeting area).
  • Using 0.9 instead of 0.9144 when converting yards to metres on building plans.

FAQ about the yard

What is a yard?
The yard equals 0.9144 meters exactly, or 3 feet. It is the standard field unit in American football (100-yard field) and British cricket (22-yard pitch). Fabric and textile in Anglo-Saxon countries is still sold by the yard. Historically the yard was said to be the length of King Henry I of England's arm.
Where is the yard used?
The yard is commonly used for: American football field (100 yards end-to-end); Cricket pitch length (22 yards, one chain); Fabric and carpeting sold by the yard in the US and UK.
What is an example of a yard in real life?
An NFL football field is 100 yards = 91.44 metres. A cricket pitch is 22 yards = 20.12 metres.
What category does the yard belong to?
The yard is a unit of length, part of the 15-unit length category on UnitConv.
How accurate are yard conversions?
All conversion factors follow NIST and BIPM international standards to 8 significant figures — the highest practical accuracy.
Explore all 15 length units and their conversions.📏 Length hub →