Yards and feet are both linear measurements. They measure the distance from one point to another following a straight line. These measurements may be used to measure objects, room sizes, road distances and heights.

One foot is equal to 12 inches. Feet can be measured using a ruler, which is typically equal to 1 foot. One foot is approximately the length of a piece of paper.

A yard is equal to 3 feet. Yards are usually measured by a yardstick, which equals 1 yard. One yard is the approximate length of a baseball bat.

Square foot measurements are used to determine the size of an area. Multiply the length times the width of the object to determine the square footage. A flat surface, such as a floor tile, that is 1 foot on each side, has an area of 1 square foot.

Square yards are determined by multiplying the length times the width of an area. Room carpeting is often measured in square yards. A room that is 9 feet by 12 feet, would convert to 3 yards by 4 yards. Multiply three times four to determine the area of the room is 12 square yards.