Question

On the first down, the Steelers had the ball on their 30-yard line. On the next three downs, they gained 9 yards, lost 14 yards, and lost 2 yards. What was the yard line at the end of the fourth down?

Short answer

The obtained value is 23.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Given Information.

The Steelers had the ball on their 30-yard line. On the next three downs, they gained 9 yards, lost 14 yards, and lost 2 yards.

Step 2. Calculation.

Add all the distance, as lost yards is negative and gained yards is positive.

$\begin{array}{rcl}30+9+\left(-14\right)+\left(-2\right)& =& 30+9-14-2\\ & =& 39-16\\ & =& 23\end{array}$

Step 3. Conclusion.

The value is 23.