Final answer:
The football team gained a total of 1 yard after adding and subtracting the yards from each play (9 - 5 - 7 + 4). Today, a yard has a standard length, unlike historical arbitrary measures based on a king's physique.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves using integers to calculate the total number of yards a football team gained and lost over a series of plays. We start with a gain of 9 yards, subtract the loss of 5 yards and 7 yards from subsequent plays, and then add a gain of 4 yards. To find the total yardage, we perform the following calculation:
9 (gain) - 5 (loss) - 7 (loss) + 4 (gain) = 1 yard.
The integer that represents the total yards gained by the team is 1 yard.
As for the standard definition of a yard, today it is a fixed measure marked on football fields, ensuring uniformity across the sport. In historical context, the yard was once defined arbitrarily relative to a king's physical features, which lacked consistency.