document_title: Beach volleyball

question_text: when do you switch sides in beach volleyball

question_tokens: when do you switch sides in beach volleyball

text: Beach volleyball

text: History[edit]

text: Beach volleyball is a variant of indoor volleyball, which was invented in 1895 by William G. Morgan.[4] Beach volleyball most likely originated in 1915 on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii,[5] at the Outrigger Canoe Club. According to a 1978 interview of an Outrigger Canoe Club member, George David "Dad" Center put a net up there, and the first recorded game of beach volleyball took place.[6] In 1920, new jetties in Santa Monica, California created a large sandy area for public enjoyment, planting the seed for beach volleyball development in that region. The first permanent nets began to appear, and people soon began playing recreational games on public parts of the beach and in private beach clubs. Eleven such beach clubs appeared in the Santa Monica area, beginning in late 1922. The first inter-club competitions were staged in 1924.

text: Most of these early beach volleyball matches were played with teams of at least six players per side, much like indoor volleyball. The concept of the modern two-man beach volleyball game is credited to Paul "Pablo" Johnson of the Santa Monica Athletic Club.[7] In the summer of 1930, while waiting for players to show up for a six-man game at the Santa Monica Athletic Club, Johnson decided to try playing with only the four people present, forming two two-man teams for the first recorded beach volleyball doubles game. The players realized that with fewer players on the court, a taller player's height advantage could be neutralized by a shorter player's speed and ball control. The popularity of the two-man game spread to other nearby beach clubs and eventually to the public courts.[7] Though recreational games continue to be played with more players, the most widely played version of the game, and the only one contested at an elite level, has only two players per team.

text: Beach volleyball grew in popularity in the United States during the Great Depression in the 1930s as it was an inexpensive activity.[8] The sport also began to appear in Europe during this time.[5] By the 1940s, doubles tournaments were being played on the beaches of Santa Monica for trophies. In 1948 the first tournament to offer a prize was held in Los Angeles, California. It awarded the best teams with a case of Pepsi.[9]  In the 1960s, an attempt to start a professional volleyball league was made in Santa Monica. It failed, but a professional tournament was held in France for 30,000 French francs.[10] In the 1950s, the first Brazilian beach volleyball tournament was held, sponsored by a newspaper publishing company.[5] The first Manhattan Beach Open was held in 1960, a tournament which grew in prestige to become, in the eyes of some, the "Wimbledon of Beach Volleyball".[11]

text: In the meantime, beach volleyball gained popularity: in the 1960s The Beatles tried playing in Los Angeles and US president John F. Kennedy was seen attending a match.[12] In 1974, there was an indoor tournament: "The $1500.00 World Indoor Two-Man Volleyball Championship" played in front of 4,000 volleyball enthusiast at the San Diego Sports Arena. Fred Zuelich teamed with Dennis Hare to defeat Ron Von Hagen and Matt Gage in the championship match, Winston Cigarettes was the sponsor. Dennis Hare went on to write the first book on the subject of beach volleyball: The Art of Beach Volleyball.[13]

text: The first professional beach volleyball tournament was the Olympia World Championship of Beach Volleyball, staged on Labor Day weekend, 1976, at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades, California. The event was organized by David Wilk of Volleyball magazine, based in Santa Barbara. The winners, the first "world champions", were Greg Lee and Jim Menges. They split US$2,500 out of a total prize purse of US$5,000.

text: Volleyball magazine staged the event the next year at the same location, this time sponsored by Schlitz Light Beer. In 1978 Wilk formed a sports promotion company named Event Concepts with Craig Masuoka and moved the World Championship of Beach Volleyball to Redondo Beach, California. Jose Cuervo signed on as sponsor and the prize purse. The event was successful and Cuervo funded an expansion the next year to three events. The California Pro Beach Tour debuted with events in Laguna Beach, Santa Barbara and the World Championship in Redondo.

text: In following years the tour expanded nationally and was renamed the Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. It consisted of five events in California and tournaments in Florida, Colorado, and Chicago. By 1984, the Pro Beach consisted of 16 events around the country and had a total prize purse of US$300,000. At the end of the year, however, Event Concepts was forced out of the sport by a players' strike at the World Championship and the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) was founded.

text: At the professional level, the sport remained fairly obscure until the 1980s when beach volleyball experienced a surge in popularity with high-profile players such as Sinjin Smith, Randy Stoklos, and Karch Kiraly. Kiraly won an Olympic gold medal in beach volleyball in its first Olympic appearance in 1996, adding that to the two Olympic golds he won as part of the USA men's indoor team,[14] and has won 142 titles.[14] In the 1980s, the sport gained popularity on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[4] In 1986, the first international beach volleyball exhibition was held in Rio de Janeiro with 5,000 spectators.[5]

text: In 1987, the first international FIVB-sanctioned tournament was played on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, with a prize purse of US$22,000. It was won by Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos.[5] In 1989, the first FIVB-sanctioned international circuit, called the World Series, was organized with men's tournaments in Brazil, Italy and Japan.[5] The FIVB and its continental confederations began organizing worldwide professional tournaments and laid the groundwork for the sport's Olympic debut in 1996.[15] The first FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships and FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour were held the following year.[5] By 1998, the sport had been added to other multi-sport events including the Pan American Games, Central American Games, Southeast Asian Games, Goodwill Games and Universiade.[4] In 2001, the FIVB began organizing the annual FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships, with the annual FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships beginning the following year.[4]

text: Despite its increased popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, American beach volleyball suffered setbacks. In 1998, the American women's professional tour – the WPVA – and the American professional men's tour – the AVP – filed for bankruptcy, plagued by problems as a player-run organization.[15] In 2001, the AVP reemerged as a for-profit, publicly traded company that combined the men's and women's professional tours, with equal prize money for both sexes. After filing for bankruptcy again in 2010, the AVP re-emerged under new leadership in 2013 as the main professional beach volleyball tour in the United States.[16]

text: Beach volleyball has become a global sport, with international competition organized by the FIVB. Brazil and the USA are dominant, with 20 of the 30 Olympic medals awarded to date between them, and 16 of the 20 gold and silver medals. But the sport's popularity has spread to the rest of the world as well.

text: Rules[edit]

text: The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) is the international governing body for the sport. The FIVB publishes the  Official Beach Volleyball Rules every four years, as approved by the FIVB congress, which provides the framework for how beach volleyball is played internationally.[17]

text: Court[edit]

text: Beach volleyball is played on a rectangular sand court. The court is 16 m (52.5 ft) long and 8 m (26.2 ft) wide, surrounded by a clear space, which is at least 3 m (9.8 ft) wide on all sides. The minimum height clearance for beach volleyball courts is 7 m (23.0 ft). The sand should be as leveled as possible and free of potential hazards such as rocks that could cause injuries to players.[18]

text:
The court is divided into equal halves by a net that is 8.5 m (27.9 ft) long and 1 m (3 ft 3.4 in) wide. The top of the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11 11⁄16 in) above the center of the court for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4 3⁄16 in) for women's competition, varied for veterans and junior competitions. An antenna, 1.8 m (5 ft 10.9 in) long and 20 mm (0.8 in) in diameter, is attached to each side edge of the net.
The antennae are considered part of the net and extend 80 cm (31.5 in) above it, forming the lateral boundaries within which the ball is allowed to cross.[18]

text: Two side lines and two end lines, measuring 5 cm (2.0 in) wide, delineate the playing court.[18]

text: Ball[edit]

text: FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical and made of flexible and water resistant material, such that it is appropriate for outdoor conditions. A beach volleyball ball has a circumference of 66–68 cm, a weight of 260–280 g and an inside pressure of 0.175–0.225 kg/cm2.[18]

text: Teams[edit]

text: A team is composed exclusively of two players, who must always be in play and who cannot be subjected to any substitutions or replacement. At the moment the ball is hit by the server, each team must be within its own court (with the exception of the server), but there are no determined positions on the court, such that no positional faults can be committed.[18]

text: Scoring[edit]

text: Point, set, match[edit]

text: A team scores a point when: the ball lands on the opposing team's court; the opposing team hits the ball "out"; the opposing team commits a fault; or the opposing team receives a penalty. The team that won the point serves for the next point.[18] The ball is considered "out" if it: lands on the ground completely outside the boundary lines (a ball is "in" if any part of it touches a sideline or end-line); touches an object or person (who is not a player) outside the court; touches the net's antennae; does not cross the net's lateral boundaries (within the antennae) during service or during a team's third contact; crosses completely under the net.[18]

text: A set is won by the first team to reach 21 points (15 points in the deciding final set) with a two-point advantage.[18] Thus, if the score is 21–20 (or 15–14 in a final set) the set continues. The first team to win two sets wins the match.[18]

text: Faults[edit]

text: A fault is committed when a referee judges that a team has made a playing action that violates the rules. When a team commits a fault, the opposing team receives a point and gains the right to serve. If both teams commit a fault simultaneously, the point is replayed.[18] Common faults include:[18]

text:
Four hits: when a team uses more than three contacts before returning the ball over the net
Assisted hit: a player uses a teammate or any object as support to hit the ball within the playing area
Double contact: when a player contacts the ball two times consecutively
Catch/lift: a player catches or throws the ball
Service order fault: a team serves out of the service order
Foot fault: a player's foot touches the court (including the end line) before or during a service hit
Net touch: a player touches the net between the antennae or the antenna itself while playing the ball

text: Major rule changes[edit]

text: In the 1990s, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball reduced the standard internal pressure for a beach volleyball ball from the indoor standard of 0.30–0.325 kgf/cm2 to 0.175–0.225 kgf/cm2, and increased the standard circumference of the beach volleyball ball from the indoor standard of 65–67 cm to 66–68 cm.[19] In the 2001 season, the FIVB began testing rule changes to the court size and scoring system. The beach volleyball court dimension was reduced from the indoor court size of 9 m × 18 m (29.5 ft × 59.1 ft) to 8 m × 16 m (26.2 ft × 52.5 ft), and the scoring system was changed from sideout scoring, wherein only the serving team can score a point, to rally scoring, wherein a point is scored on every serve.[19] The Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) adopted the FIVB's rule changes that same year, which upset many of the sport's purists at the time.[20][21] The new rules were officially adopted by the FIVB in 2002.[19]

text: Differences with the indoor game[edit]

text: Beach volleyball is fundamentally similar to indoor volleyball. However, there are several differences between the two games that affect players' strategies, gameplay and techniques. The main differences in the rules of beach and indoor volleyball for international competitions governed by the FIVB include:[23]

text:
Playing surface: Beach volleyball is played on sand courts instead of hard courts as in indoor volleyball. The softer sand makes it more difficult for players to move and jump,[24] but also reduces the likelihood of injuries such as jumper's knee.[25][26] Footwear is not required and players usually play barefoot or with "sand socks".[18]
Environment: The beach game is often played outdoors, and environmental factors such as wind, rain and sun affect beach players' strategies.[27][28]
Court size: A beach volleyball court is 8 m × 16 m (26.2 ft × 52.5 ft), slightly smaller than the 9 m × 18 m (29.5 ft × 59.1 ft) indoor court.[29]
Balls: Beach volleyball balls are water-resistant and slightly larger than indoor balls, with a rougher external texture and a lower internal pressure to better suit the outdoor playing conditions.[30]

text:
Number of players: There are two players on a beach volleyball team and no substitutions, compared to indoor volleyball which has six players and six substitutions per set. This means that beach volleyball players require a versatile skill set, as opposed to specializing in one skill.[27][28] Fewer players on court also results in the utilization of a wider variety of attack shots in beach volleyball.[31]
Coaching during matches is not allowed, although exceptions are given for junior tournaments.[18]
Aside from alternating service order, there are no player-specific rules

text:
Scoring system: Beach volleyball matches are best of 3 sets played to 21 points[27] (15 points for a deciding set).
Switching sides: Unlike in indoor volleyball, beach volleyball teams switch ends of the court every seven points[27] (every five points on a deciding set). This ensures that neither team has an advantage due to environmental factors such as wind and sun glare.[29]

text:
Open hand tips and dinks are allowed in six-man indoor volleyball but not in two-man beach volleyball, as they would allow beach players to score points too easily.[29]
A touch off the block counts as one of the three allowed touches in beach volleyball, and either player may make the subsequent touch after the block.[27][29]
It is legal to cross under the net in beach volleyball as long as it does not interfere with opponents' play.[27]
Open-hand setting (overhead pass) standards differ in that the threshold for double contact faults is stricter in beach volleyball, especially when receiving a non-hard-driven ball or directing the ball over the net, while the threshold for lifts is more lenient in beach volleyball. Due to these differences, bump setting (forearm pass) is more common in the beach game.[32][33]

text: Gameplay[edit]

text: The teams start on opposite sides of the net. One team is designated the serving team and opposing team is the receiving team. A coin toss is conducted by the referee before the warm-ups to determine which team serves first and which sides of the court the teams start on for the first two sets. If a third deciding set is needed, another coin toss will be conducted prior to the third set. The service order decided at the coin toss before a set is maintained throughout the set.[18]

text: For each point, a player from the serving team initiates the serve by tossing the ball into the air and attempting to hit the ball so it passes over the net on a course such that it will land in the opposing team's court. The opposing team must use a combination of no more than three contacts with the ball to return the ball to the opponent's side of the net.[18] These contacts usually consist first of the bump or pass by the receiving player; second of the set by the receiving player's teammate so that the ball's trajectory is aimed towards a spot where the receiving player can hit it, and third by the receiving player who spikes (jumping, raising one arm above the head and hitting the ball so it will move quickly down to the ground on the opponent's court) or shoots to return the ball over the net. The team with possession of the ball that is trying to attack the ball as described is said to be on offense.

text: The team on defense attempts to prevent the attacking team from directing the ball into their court: a player at the net jumps and reaches above the top (and if possible, across the plane) of the net to block the attacked ball. If the ball is hit around, above, or through the block, the defensive player positioned behind the blocker attempts to control the ball with a dig (usually a forearm pass). After a successful dig, the team transitions to offense.

text: The game continues in this manner, rallying back and forth, until the ball touches the court within the boundaries or until a fault is committed.

text: Teams switch ends of the court after every 7 points (set 1 and 2) and 5 points (set 3) played.  When the total points are 21 (adding the score of both teams) there is a technical time-out. Each team may request one time-out per set.[18]

text: Player specialization[edit]

text: While there are no set positions, competitive players will generally have specialized defensive roles:[34][35][36]

text:
Blocker: A blocker's task is to take away part of the court (e.g. line or angle) with their block.[34] Height is an advantage in blocking.[35][36]
Defender: A defender's responsibility is to position oneself in the area not covered by the block to dig the hard-driven spike or chase down the soft shot.[34] Agility, speed and digging skills are important factors in defense.[35][36]

text: Some competitive teams have no specializations, with the two players taking turns blocking and playing defense. This allows them to conserve energy since the demand for energy on the sand is higher.[36]

text: Competitive players also tend to specialize in playing on either the right- or left-side of the court. This allows for greater consistency in receiving serve and shot selection. Left-handed players generally prefer to play on the right-side while right-handed players generally prefer to play on the left-side, as it is easier to spike a ball that has not passed across the line of one's body.[37]

text: Characteristics of a hit[edit]

text: The ball may touch any part of the body (except during the serve, when only the hand or arm may make contact), but must be hit, not caught or thrown.  During a hit, a player may only make contact with the ball one time. When two players from the same team contact the ball simultaneously, it is counted as two hits, and either player may make the next contact. When two players from opposing teams contact the ball simultaneously over the net, in what is known as a joust, the team whose side the ball ends up on is entitled to another three contacts.[18][38]

text: When receiving a ball from a hit that is not hard driven, the ball must be contacted "cleanly". If a player receives the ball open-handed, the contact of each hand with the ball must be exactly simultaneous.[18] In practice, this means that serves are never received open-handed. When receiving an opponent's hard-driven attack, a double contact (provided both contacts occur in a single action) and/or a slight lift of the ball is allowed. In particular, in defensive action of a hard driven ball, the ball can be held momentarily overhand with the fingers.[18]

text: When employing an overhand pass (hands separated, ball handled with the fingers) as the second of three team touches (usually with the intent of "setting" the ball, so that the other player may make a more effective attack-hit), the standard for a double contact fault is more lenient than when receiving or attacking, though still much stricter than in indoor volleyball. The standard for a lift fault during an overhand pass is less strict than in indoor games—it is legal to allow the ball to come to rest for a small period of time.

text: Attack-hits using an "open-handed tip or dink" directing the ball with the fingers are illegal, as are attack-hits using an overhand pass to direct the ball on a trajectory not perpendicular to the line of the shoulders (overhand passes which accidentally cross over the net are an exception).[18] These differences between the rules of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball strongly affect tactics and techniques.

text: Block signals[edit]

text: Beach volleyball players use hand signals to indicate to their partners the type of block they either intend to make (if they are the designated blocker) or that they want their partner to make (if they are the designated defender). Block signals are important so that both the blocker and defender know which area of the court is their responsibility to cover.[34] Block signals are made behind the back to hide them from the opposing team.[39] They are usually given with both hands by the serving player's partner prior to the serve, with the left hand referring to the type of block that should be put up against the left-side attacker, and the right hand similarly referring to the right-side attacker.[40] A player may also "wiggle" or "flash" one block signal to indicate which opponent to serve to.

text: Block signals may also be given during a rally while the opposing team is preparing their attack.[40]

text: Common block signals[edit]

text: Closed fist

text: One finger

text: Two fingers

text: Three fingers

text: Four fingers

text: Open hand

text: Note: For some teams, closed fist and open hand signals have the opposite meaning of blocking. If the partner is showing the closed fist the blocker should block "ball" and open hand means that the blocker should "pull-off" the net.

text: Skills[edit]

text: There are several basic skills competitive players need to master: serving, passing, setting, attacking, blocking, and digging.

text: Serve[edit]

text:
Serving is the act of putting the ball into play by striking it with the hand or arm from behind the rear court boundary. Serving can take the form of an underhand serve or an overhand serve, and examples include: float serve, jump-float serve, top-spin serve, jump serve, sky ball serve and reverse sky ball serve.[41] As beach volleyball is usually played outdoors, the direction and speed of the wind and the position of the sun are considered when choosing which serve to use.[41] Because wind can significantly affect the trajectory of a serve, players can employ different serving strategies to take advantage of the wind conditions. For example, players may choose a top-spin serve when serving into the wind, causing the ball to drop short in front of the passer.[42]
Players can also take advantage of the position of the sun. For example, a sky ball serve is especially effective at high noon, because the sun gets into the passer's eyes and can cause the passer to become disoriented.[27] Although the serve can be used as an offensive weapon, most rallies are won by the receiving team, as they have the first attack opportunity.

text: Pass[edit]

text: The pass is the first of a team's 3 allowed contacts. In indoor volleyball, passing involves two main techniques: forearm pass, or bump, where the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform, at waist line; and overhand pass, where it is handled with the fingertips, like a hand set, above the head. However, the standards for hand setting are stricter on the beach. In practice, this means that players are effectively forbidden from hand setting the ball on serve receive; similarly, players seldom use an overhand passing motion as the first (except on a hard driven attack) or last of the three allowed team contacts. Digging is a similar skill to passing, but the term is not used to describe receiving the serve or a free ball, but rather refers to an attempt to prevent an opponent's attack hit from touching the court.

text: Set[edit]

text: The set is the second team contact, and its purpose is to position the ball for an attack on the third hit. Similar to a pass, the ball can be set with either a forearm pass technique, known as a bump set, or an overhand pass technique, known as a hand set.[32] Due to the stricter standards for ball rotation when hand setting in beach volleyball than in indoor volleyball, as well as the environmental factors that make it harder to hand set a ball "cleanly",[27] the bump set is more common in the beach game.[32][33] When hand setting, the player's hands must contact the ball simultaneously. If a referee determines that a double-hit has occurred, the point will be given to the other team. Excessive spin after a ball has been set is often used as an indicator of a double contact fault, but causing a ball to spin while setting is not explicitly prohibited. After completing the contact, the setter typically turns his attention to the defense and communicates to his partner whether a blocker is up and which area of the court is open. The second contact can also be used to attack the ball, known as an "over-on-two" attack.

text: Attack[edit]

text: A beach volleyball attack can be categorized as either a spike or a shot. A spike involves hitting the ball hard with one open hand on a downward trajectory from above the top of the net. A shot is a relatively soft attack used to place a ball into an open (undefended) area of the court.[32] Unlike indoor volleyball, a wide variety of shots are utilized in beach volleyball due to the fewer defenders on court.[31] Common shots used in beach volleyball include: roll shots, in which the attacker puts a lot of topspin on the ball so that it has an arcing trajectory that will go over the block then drop quickly; cut shots, in which the shot crosses the net at sharp angles; pokeys, in which the ball is contacted with the attacking player's knuckles; and dinks, in which the ball is directed very softly low over the net.[43]

text: Block[edit]

text: In beach volleyball, a block can be used to score a direct point by directing an attack by the opposing attacker back into their court, or used to channel the ball to the defender by "taking away" part of the court,[34] or used to slow the ball down so the defender has time to chase down the ball.[41] At the competitive level, blockers will often reach across the net and "penetrate" the opposing team's side as much as possible to take away more hitting angles. Blockers may also attempt a shot block, where instead of maximum penetration across the net, the blocker reaches with their hands as high as possible to achieve maximum height above the net.[32]

text: Players often decide against blocking (if the opposing team's pass and set are not in a good position to produce a spike attack) and instead opt to retreat and play defense. This skill is known as peeling, dropping or pulling off the net,[27][44] and is almost exclusive to beach volleyball.

text: Governing bodies[edit]

text: The primary international governing body for beach volleyball is the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The regional governing bodies are:

text:
Asia and Oceania – Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC)
Africa – Confédération Africaine de Volleyball (CAV)
Europe – European Volleyball Confederation (CEV)
North and Central America – North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA)
South America – Confederación Sudamericana de Voleibol (CSV)

text: In the United States, USA Volleyball is the governing body for beach volleyball, as well as indoor and sitting volleyball.

text: Levels of competition[edit]

text: Professional[edit]

text: International[edit]

text: The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is the international professional tour for both men and women organized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The inaugural tour was held in 1997, replacing the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Series that began in 1989 for men and 1992 for women.[5] World Tour tournaments are ranked from 1 to 5 stars, with 5-star tournaments offering the most prize money. The 2018 World Tour has 47 international tournaments with a total prize purse of over US$7 million.[45] Competing in the World Tour as well as other FIVB-recognized tournaments such as the Summer Olympics allows players to earn FIVB Ranking Points, with higher-star events being worth more points.[46] The World Tour concludes with the World Tour Finals at the end of each season.[46]

text:
FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour (as of 2018 season)[47]

Event category

No. of teams in main draw (per gender)

Format

Prize Money(per gender)

World Tour Finals
12
Pool play (1st phase)Single-elimination (2nd phase)
US$400,000

5-star
32
US$300,000

4-star
US$150,000

3-star
US$75,000

2-star
24
US$50,000

1-star
16
US$10,000

text: The FIVB also organizes the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships every two years, held since 1997.[5] The World Championships have a 48-team main draw and prize purse of US$500,000 per gender.[48]

text: Regional[edit]

text: The five regional governing bodies also organize Continental Tours and Championships:

text:
Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) organizes the AVC Beach Volleyball Tour,[49] culminating with the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships (since 2002).
African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) organizes the Africa Beach Volleyball Championship.
European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) organizes the European beach volleyball circuit (since 1993), which consists of Satellite and Masters events, culminating with the European Beach Volleyball Championships. From the 2018 season onwards, the Satellite and Masters events have been merged into the FIVB World Tour, but are still organized by the CEV.[50]
North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) organizes the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit (since 2007).
Confederación Sudamericana de Voleibol (CSV) organizes the South American Beach Volleyball Circuit (since 2005).

text: Players can only participate in the Continental Tour that their national federation is a member of. In addition to prize money, Continental Tour events award players with FIVB ranking points and their national federations with National Federation ranking points.[47] The latter determines how many teams a national federation can send to the World Championships and the Summer Olympics.[51]

text: National[edit]

text: Some countries also have domestic professional tours, but only FIVB-approved national tours can award FIVB ranking points.[46] As of 2017, there are 21 FIVB-approved national tours.[52]

text: In the United States, the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the main domestic professional tour, organizing tournaments annually such as the Manhattan Beach Open.[53] The AVP tour is not FIVB-approved and has had conflicts with the FIVB in the 1980s and 1990s over regulations and sponsorship, leading to an initial boycott of FIVB events by the top American players.[54][55]

text: In Germany, the Techniker Beach Tour, previously known as the Smart Beach Tour, is the top domestic tour and is FIVB-approved. It is the organized by the German Volleyball Association and each season ends with the German Beach Volleyball Championships.[56]

text:
In Brazil, the FIVB-approved Brazilian Beach Volleyball Circuit (pt:Circuito Brasileiro de Voleibol de Praia) is the main national tour. It has been organized by the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation since 1991. The tour consists of the main Open Circuit[57]
and a Challenger Circuit.[58] Each season concludes with the Superpraia championship.[59]

text: Multi-sport events[edit]

text: Men and women's beach volleyball has been contested in the Summer Olympics since 1996.[5] It is also contested in other international multi-sport events, including the Commonwealth Games (since 2018), Pan American Games (since 1999), Central American and Caribbean Games (since 1998), Asian Games (since 1998), Pacific Games (since 1999), African Games (since 2011), and Asian Beach Games (since 2008).

text: College[edit]

text: United States[edit]

text: In the 2010–11 academic year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) began sponsoring women's beach volleyball, which it initially called "sand volleyball", as an "emerging" sport. Initially, it was sponsored only for Division II, with Division I added the following academic year. NCAA competition follows standard beach volleyball rules, with competitions involving five doubles-teams from each participating school.[60]

text: Beach volleyball became a fully sanctioned NCAA championship sport in the 2015–16 school year, following votes by leaders of all three NCAA divisions to launch a single all-divisions national championship.[61] At the end of June 2015, the NCAA dropped the name of "sand volleyball" in favor of the more usual "beach volleyball."[62]

text: Philippines[edit]

text: Beach volleyball is a men's and women's championship sport in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)[63] and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).[64] In the NCAA, it is contested at both the high school and college level.[63]

text: Europe[edit]

text: The European Universities Beach Volleyball Championships are held annually as part of the European Universities Championships.

text: Junior[edit]

text: The FIVB organizes the annual U19 and U21 World Championships.[46] World Championships for the U17 and U23 age-groups were previously held as well. Teams are awarded FIVB ranking points at these Championships, but not prize money. Instead, the winning U19 teams get a direct main draw entry into the next U21 World Championships, while the winning U21 teams get a direct main draw entry into a World Tour 4 or 5-star event of their choice.[46]

text: Beach volleyball is also contested at the Youth Olympic Games (since 2014).

text: Uniform controversy[edit]

text: In 1999, the FIVB standardized beach volleyball uniforms, with the swimsuit becoming the required uniform both for men and women.[66] This drew the ire of some athletes.[67]

text: According to FIVB rules, female beach volleyball players have the option of playing in shorts or a one-piece swimsuit.[68][69] Most players, however, prefer the two-piece bikini.[70]

text: Competitors such as Natalie Cook[71] and Holly McPeak[70] have confirmed the FIVB's claims that the uniforms are practical for a sport played on sand during the heat of summer, but British Olympian Denise Johns claimed that the regulation uniform is intended to be "sexy" and to draw attention.[72]

text: During the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, a study was conducted on the camera angles during the beach volleyball games. Twenty percent of the camera angles were focused on the chest area and seventeen percent of the angles were focused on the buttock area.  The study concludes that this implies the look of the players is having a greater impact on fans than their actual athleticism.[73]

text: Some conservative cultures have expressed moral objections to the swimsuit as a uniform. At the 2007 South Pacific Games, rules were adjusted to require less revealing shorts and cropped sports tops. At the 2006 Asian Games, only one Muslim country fielded a team in the woman's competition, amid concerns the uniform was inappropriate.

text: In early 2012, the FIVB announced it would allow shorts (maximum length 3 cm (1.2 in) above the knee) and sleeved tops at the London 2012 Olympics. The federation spokesman said that "many of these countries have religious and cultural requirements so the uniform needed to be more flexible".[74]  And in fact, the weather was so cold for the evening games at London 2012 that the players sometimes had to wear shirts and leggings.[75]

text: Lifestyle and culture[edit]

text: Beach volleyball culture includes the people, language, fashion, and life surrounding the sport of modern beach volleyball. With its origins in Hawaii and California, beach volleyball is strongly associated with a casual, beach-centric lifestyle. As it developed nearly in parallel with modern surfing, beach volleyball culture shares some similarities with surf culture. The beach bum archetype is one such example. Professional beach volleyball matches often have a "party atmosphere", with loud music, announcers and dancers in between points and during time-outs.[76][77]

text: Fashion often extends from the clothing worn during play, like the bikini or boardshorts. And much like surfers, beach volleyball players are at the mercy of the weather; patterns of play often develop based on weather conditions like sun and wind.

text: Nudist/naturist volleyball[edit]

text: Nudists were early adopters of the game. Records of regular games in clubs can be found as early as the 1920s.[78][79] Given the outdoor nature of nudism/naturism, a beach version of volleyball was naturally adopted. By the 1960s, a volleyball court could be found in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.[80] A large (over 70 teams) nude volleyball tournament has been held each fall since 1971 at White Thorn Lodge in western Pennsylvania,[81] and several smaller tournaments occur each year throughout North America.[82]

text: Common injuries[edit]

text: The most common injuries in beach volleyball are knee, ankle and finger injuries.[25] Pain due to overuse of the knee, lower back, and especially shoulder is common as well, but is less prevalent than in indoor volleyball due to the soft landing surface.[25][26] Acute lost-time injuries are also relatively rare in beach volleyball compared to other team sports.[25][26] Many players use kinesiology tape.[83] Interest in this tape has surged after American beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh wore it at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[83]


document_title: List of Cricket World Cup records

question_text: who holds the record of taking four wickets in four consecutive balls in cricket world cup

root

text: List of Cricket World Cup records

text: Notation[edit]

text: Team notation

tag: p

text:
(300–3) indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets and the innings was closed, either due to a successful run chase or if no overs remained (or are able) to be bowled.
(300) indicates that a team scored 300 runs and was all out, either by losing all ten wickets or by having one or more batsmen unable to bat and losing the remaining wickets.

tag: ul

text: Batting notation

text:
(100) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was out.
(100*) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was not out.

text: Bowling notation

text: (5–100) indicates that a bowler has captured five wickets while giving away 100 runs.

text: Currently playing

text: Record holders who are currently playing ODIs or streaks that are still active and can change have a ^ next to their name.

text: Team[edit]

text: Overall[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref.

Highest score
 Australia v  Afghanistan (2015)
417–6
 India v  Bermuda (2007)
413–5
[5]

Lowest score
 Canada v  Sri Lanka (2003)
36
 Canada v  England (1979)
 Namibia v  Australia (2003)
45
[6]

Highest match aggregate
 Australia v  Sri Lanka (2015)
688–18
 India v  England (2011)
676–18
[7]

Lowest match aggregate
 Canada v  Sri Lanka (2003)
73–11
 Canada v  England (1979)
91–12
[8]

Highest successful run chase
 Ireland v  England (2011)
329–7
 Bangladesh v  Scotland (2015)
322–4
[9]

Highest winning margin (runs)
 Australia v  Afghanistan (2015)
275
 India v  Bermuda (2007)
 South Africa v  West Indies (2015)
257
[10]

Lowest winning margin (runs)
 Australia v  India (1987)
 Australia v  India (1992)
1
 Sri Lanka v  England (2007)
2
[11]

Highest win %
 Australia
75.30%
 India
65.45%
[12]

Most wins
 Australia
62
 New Zealand
48
[13]

Most losses
 Zimbabwe
42
 Sri Lanka
35
[14]

tag: table

text: The result percentage excludes no results and counts ties as half a win.[12]

text: The closest margin of victory occurred twice in matches featuring Australia and India. However, there have also been four tied matches in World Cup history.[15]

text: The first was in the 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final, in which a run out in the final over with only one run required prevented South Africa advancing to the final instead of Australia, who progressed because the latter had a better rank in the previous stage – Super Sixes.[16] The second tied match, in the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, was a case in which the Duckworth-Lewis method caused a South African loss against Sri Lanka. With the onset of rain, the South African batsmen achieved the score they believed was required to win the match and then blocked out the last ball of the over to avoid losing wickets, however, the score they believed indicated a win actually indicated the score required to tie the match. This tie meant South Africa could not advance to the Super Sixes stage.[17] The third tie happened in a group match between Ireland and Zimbabwe at Kingston in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.[18] The fourth tie happened in a group match between India and England at Bangalore in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.[19]

text: In 2007, South Africa scored 353/3 in a rain-shortened match against the Netherlands. Their effort came from a shortened game of 40 overs, a run rate of 8.83 runs per over.[20]

text: The highest score in a World Cup match is 6–417, achieved by Australia, playing Afghanistan in a group match. Having lost to New Zealand in their previous match, Australia asserted their dominance by beating the associates playing in their first World Cup the highest world records 805 runs and 5 outs

text: One tournament[edit]

text:
100% win record[21]

Team
Year
Matches played

 Australia
(2007)
11

 Australia
(2003)
11

 Sri Lanka
(1996)
8*

 West Indies
(1975)
5

 West Indies
(1979)
4**

text: Note: *Sri Lanka's 8 in 1996 includes 2 wins on forfeit. **West Indies had 5 scheduled matches in 1979, but one was a "no result" due to rain.

text: Streaks[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second

Most consecutive wins
 Australia (1999–2011)
27*[22]
 India (2011–2015)
11[23]

Most consecutive matches without being defeated
 Australia (1999–2011)
34*[22]
 India (2011–2015)
11[23]

Most consecutive defeats
 Zimbabwe (1983–1992)
18[24]
 Scotland (1999–2015)
14[25]

text: *Australia's streak of 34 matches without defeat consists of 32 wins, 1 tie and 1 no-result. During this streak, after 25 straight wins they had a no-result, followed by 2 more wins, making a total of 27 consecutive wins.

text: Batting[edit]

text: Overall[edit]

text: This section is missing information about the second fastest 150. Please expand the section to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (February 2015)

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most runs
 Sachin Tendulkar
2278
 Ricky Ponting
1743
[26]

Highest average (min. 20 inns.)
 AB de Villiers
63.52
 Michael Clarke
63.42
[27]

Highest Strike rate (min. 20 inns.)
 Brendon McCullum
120.84
 AB de Villiers
117.29
[28]

Fastest double century
 Chris Gayle v Zimbabwe (2015)
138 balls
 Martin Guptill v West Indies (2015)
152 balls
[29]

Fastest 150
 AB de Villiers v West Indies (2015)
64 balls
-
-
[30]

Fastest century
 Kevin O'Brian v England (2011)[31]
50 balls
 Glenn Maxwell v Sri Lanka (2015)
51 balls
[32]

Fastest fifty
 Brendon McCullum v England (2015)
18 balls
 Brendon McCullum v Canada (2007)
 Angelo Mathews v Scotland (2015)
20 balls
[33]

Most centuries
 Sachin Tendulkar
6
 Ricky Ponting
 Kumar Sangakkara

5
[32][34][35]

Most 50+ scores
 Sachin Tendulkar
21
 Kumar Sangakkara
12
[36]

Most ducks
 Nathan Astle
5 out of 22
 Ijaz Ahmed
5 out of 26
[37]

Most sixes
 Chris Gayle
 AB de Villiers
37
 Ricky Ponting
31
[38]

Most sixes in an innings
 Chris Gayle v Zimbabwe (2015)
16
 Martin Guptill v West Indies (2015)
11
[39]

Highest score
 Martin Guptill v West Indies (2015)
237*
 Chris Gayle v Zimbabwe (2015)
215
[40]

Most runs through boundaries in an innings
 Martin Guptill v West Indies (2015)
162
 Chris Gayle v Zimbabwe (2015)
136
[40][41]

Highest partnership
 Marlon Samuels & Chris Gayle
(2nd wicket) v Zimbabwe (2015)
372
 Sourav Ganguly & Rahul Dravid
(2nd wicket) v Sri Lanka (1999)
318
[42]

text: Sachin Tendulkar holds numerous batting records, including those for the most centuries, most fifties and most runs. He also has the most Man of the Match awards.[43]

text: One tournament[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most centuries
 Kumar Sangakkara
4
2015
 Mark Waugh
 Sourav Ganguly
 Matthew Hayden
3
1996
2003
2007
[32][44]

Most 50+ scores
 Sachin Tendulkar
7
2003[45]
 David Boon
 Martin Crowe
 Javed Miandad
 Sachin Tendulkar
 Rahul Dravid
 Ricky Ponting
 Mahela Jayawardene
 Scott Styris
 Kevin Pietersen
 Graeme Smith
 Yuvraj Singh
 Jonathan Trott
 Steve Smith
5
1987
1992
1992
1996
1999
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2011
2011
2015
[36][46]

Most runs in a tournament
 Sachin Tendulkar
673 (11 innings)
2003
 Matthew Hayden
659 (10 innings)[47]
2007
[48]

Most sixes
 Chris Gayle
26 (6 innings)
2015
 AB de Villiers
21 (7 innings)
2015
[49]

text: Streaks[edit]

text:
Record
First
Ref(s)

Most consecutive centuries
 Kumar Sangakkara
4
2015
[50][51]

Most consecutive 50+ scores
 Steve Smith^
5
2015
[52]

Most consecutive ducks
 Nicholas De Groot
 Shem Ngoche
3
2003
2011
[53]

text: Bowling[edit]

text: Overall[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most wickets
 Glenn McGrath
71
 Muttiah Muralitharan
68
[54]

Lowest average (min. 1000 balls bowled)
 Glenn McGrath
18.19
 Imran Khan
19.26
[55]

Economy rate (min. 1000 balls bowled)
 Andy Roberts
3.24
 Ian Botham
3.43
[56]

Strike rate (min. 1000 balls bowled)
 Lasith Malinga
23.8
 Zaheer Khan
27.1
[57]

Best bowling figures
 Glenn McGrath v Namibia (2003)
7–15
 Andrew Bichel v England (2003)
7–20
[58]

Most wickets in consecutive balls
 Lasith Malinga
4 v South Africa (2007)

 Chetan Sharma
3 v New Zealand (1987)
[59][60]

 Saqlain Mushtaq
3 v Zimbabwe (1999)

 Chaminda Vaas
3 v Bangladesh (2003)

 Brett Lee
3 v Kenya (2003)

 Lasith Malinga
3 v Kenya (2011)

 Kemar Roach
3 v Netherlands (2011)

 Steven Finn
3 v Australia (2015)

 JP Duminy
3 v Sri Lanka (2015)

text: Glenn McGrath dominates the bowling records, and holds all but three of the records. Lasith Malinga became the first player to take four wickets in four balls at an international level in the 2007 World Cup, against South Africa.[61] Chaminda Vaas took four wickets in five balls against Bangladesh in 2003, including wickets with the first three balls of the match. There have also been hat tricks in Cricket World Cups by Chetan Sharma, Saqlain Mushtaq, Brett Lee, Kemar Roach, Steven Finn and JP Duminy.[59][62][63]

text: Chetan Sharma was the first bowler to take a hat-trick in a Cricket World Cup. Lasith Malinga was the first bowler to take 2 hat-tricks during the Cricket World Cup.

text: One tournament[edit]

text:
Wickets
Player
Year
Matches
Overs
Maidens
Runs
Economy Rate
Best Bowling

26
 Glenn McGrath
2007
11
80.5
5
357
4.41
3 / 14

23
 Chaminda Vaas
2003
10
88
14
331
3.76
6 / 25

23
 Muttiah Muralitharan
2007
10
84.4
1
351
4.14
4 / 19

23
 Shaun Tait
2007
11
84.3
1
467
5.52
4 / 29

text: Fielding[edit]

text: While records for best fielders have varied through different World Cups, the records for wicketkeepers have been occupied by Kumar Sangakkara who holds the record for most dismissals overall and Adam Gilchrist which holds the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in one tournament and in one match.

text: Overall[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most dismissals (wicketkeeper)
 Kumar Sangakkara
54
 Adam Gilchrist
52
[64]

Most catches (fielder)
 Ricky Ponting
28
 Sanath Jayasuriya
18
[65]

text: One tournament[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most dismissals (wicketkeeper)
 Adam Gilchrist
21
2003
 Kumar Sangakkara
 Adam Gilchrist
17
2003
2007
[66]

Most catches (fielder)
 Ricky Ponting
11
2003
 Rilee Rossouw
9
2015
[67]

text: One match[edit]

text:
Record
First
Ref(s)

Most dismissals (wicketkeeper)
 Adam Gilchrist
 Sarfraz Ahmed
6
2003
2015
[68]

Most catches (fielder)
 Mohammed Kaif
 Soumya Sarkar
 Umar Akmal
4
2003
2015
2015
[69]

text: Extras[edit]

text: An extra is a run scored by a means other than a batsman hitting the ball. Other than runs scored off the bat from a no ball, a batsman is not given credit for extras and the extras are tallied separately on the scorecard and count only towards the team's score.

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most extras conceded in one innings
 Scotland v  Pakistan (1999)
59 (5 b, 6 lb, 33 w, 15 nb)
 India v  Zimbabwe (1999)
51 (0 b, 14 lb, 21 w, 16 nb)
[70]

text: Other Records[edit]

text: There are certain records other than batting, bowling or fielding. These records include participation records, hosting records etc.

text: Grounds[edit]

text: The World Cup has been held in England four times. As a result, English grounds have hosted the most World Cup matches.

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most matches hosted by a ground
 Headingley, Leeds
12
 Trent Bridge, Nottingham
 Old Trafford, Manchester
 Edgbaston, Birmingham
11
[71][72]

text: Umpires[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most matches as umpire in World Cup
 David Shepherd
46
 Steve Bucknor
45
[73]

Most finals as umpire in World Cup
 Steve Bucknor
5
 David Shepherd
 Dickie Bird
3
[74]

text: Appearances[edit]

text: In Terms of World Cup Tournaments[edit]

text: Note:This includes players who were in the final announced squads of their respective countries for the Tournament.

text:
Tournaments played
Player
List of appearances
Notes and References

6
 Javed Miandad
 Sachin Tendulkar
1975,1979,1983,1987,1992,1996
1992,1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
[75]

5
 Imran Khan
 Arjuna Ranatunga
 Wasim Akram
 Aravinda de Silva
 Brian Lara
 Sanath Jayasuriya
 Inzamam-ul-Haq
 Ricky Ponting
 Jacques Kallis
 S. Chanderpaul
 M. Muralitharan
 Steve Tikolo
 Thomas Odoyo
 Shahid Afridi
 Daniel Vettori^
 Mahela Jayawardene
1975,1979,1983,1987,1992
1983,1987,1992,1996,1999
1987,1992,1996,1999,2003
1987,1992,1996,1999,2003
1992,1996,1999,2003,2007
1992,1996,1999,2003,2007
1992,1996,1999,2003,2007
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1996,1999,2003,2007,2011
1999,2003,2007,2011,2015
1999,2003,2007,2011,2015
1999,2003,2007,2011,2015

^ Vettori was part of the 1999 world cup squad but didn't
appear even in a single match (he was a substitute throughout the tournament)

text: In Terms of Matches[edit]

text: The top 10 list is dominated by players who have appeared in five World Cup tournaments.

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most appearances in World Cup
 Ricky Ponting
46
 Sachin Tendulkar
45
[76]

text: Representing More Than One Country[edit]

text: Anderson Cummins, Kepler Wessels, Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan are the only four players to have represented two different countries in Cricket World Cup.[77]

text: Most World Cup Titles[edit]

text: Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Ricky Ponting share the record of three World Cup titles. Each was a member of Australia's winning team in 1999, 2003 and 2007.

text: Age[edit]

text: A total of 76 players aged 20 years or less had made an appearance in the World Cup[78] and 18 players aged more than 40 had played in the competition.[79]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Youngest player
 Nitish Kumar
16 years, 283 days
2011
 Talha Jubair
17 years, 70 days
2003
[80][81]

Oldest player
 Nolan Clarke
47 years, 257 days
1996
 John Traicos
44 years, 306 days
1992
[82][83]

text: Captaincy[edit]

text:
Record
First
Second
Ref(s)

Most matches as captain[84]
 Ricky Ponting
29
 Stephen Fleming
27
[85]

Best win % as captain (min. 10 matches)[84]
 Ricky Ponting
92.85% (29 matches)
 Clive Lloyd
88.23% (17 matches)
[85]

text: Youngest Captain to lift World Cup Trophy[edit]

text:
World Cup
Captain
Age

1983
Kapil Dev
24 yrs 5 mnths 19 days

2003
Ricky Ponting
28 yrs 3 mnths 4 days

2011
M S Dhoni
29 yrs 8 mnths 26 days


document_title: List of countries by coal production

question_text: who produces the most coal in the world

question_tokens: who produces the most coal in the world

text: List of countries by coal production

text: This is a list of countries by coal production, based mostly on the Statistical Review of World Energy ranking countries with coal production larger than 10 millions tonnes.

text: Countries[edit]

text:
Coal production (million tonnes)

Rank
Country/Region
2016[1]
2015[2]
2014[3]
2013[1]

—
 World
7,460.4
7,861.1
8,164.9
8,074.6

1
 China
3,411.0
3,747.0
3,874.0
3,974.3

2
 India
692.4
677.5
648.1
608.5

3
 United States
660.6
812.8
906.9
893.4

4
 Australia
492.8
484.5
503.2
472.8

—
 European Union
484.7
528.1
491.5
557.9

5
 Indonesia
434.0
392.0
458.0
474.6

6
 Russia
385.4
373.3
357.6
355.2

7
 South Africa
251.3
252.1
260.5
256.3

8
 Germany
176.1
183.3
185.8
190.6

9
 Poland
131.1
135.5
137.1
142.9

10
 Kazakhstan
102.4
106.5
108.7
119.6

11
 Colombia
90.5
85.5
88.6
85.5

12
 Turkey
70.6
58.4
65.2
60.4

13
 Canada
60.3
60.7
68.8
68.4

14
 Czech Republic
46.0
46.2
46.9
49.0

-
 North Korea

45.2[4]
46.3[4]

15
 Ukraine
41.8
38.5
60.9
84.8

16
 Vietnam
39.4
41.5
41.2
41.1

17
 Serbia
38.4
38.1
29.8
40.3

18
 Mongolia
38.1
24.5
25.3
30.1

19
 Greece
33.1
47.7
49.3
53.9

20
 Bulgaria
31.5
35.9
31.3
28.6

21
 Romania
23.2
25.5
23.6
24.7

22
 Thailand
17.0
15.2
18.0
18.1

-
 Philippines

10.5[4]
7.8[4]

23
 Hungary
9.3
9.6
0.1
9.6

24
 Brazil
8.1
8.0
7.9
8.6

25
 Mexico
8.0
14.4
13.8
14.6

-
 Kosovo

7.9[4]
9.1[4]

-
 Macedonia

7.9[4]
7.4[4]

-
 Bosnia and Herzegovina

6.8[4]
6.9[4]

26
 United Kingdom
4.2
8.5
11.5
12.8

27
 Pakistan
4.0
3.3
3.4
3.0

28
 Uzbekistan
3.9
4.0
4.4
4.1

-
 Slovenia

3.4[4]
4.3[4]

29
 New Zealand
2.9
3.4
4.0
4.6

30
 Zimbabwe
2.7
4.3
5.8
3.1

31
 Spain
1.7
3.1
3.7
4.4

32
South Korea
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.8

33
Japan
1.3
1.2
1.3
1.2

34
Venezuela
0.3
0.8
0.8
1.2


document_title: List of Everybody Loves Raymond characters

question_text: who played amy's brother peter on everybody loves raymond

question_tokens: who played amy 's brother peter on everybody loves raymond

text: Main characters

text:
Actor
Role
Seasons
Episodes

Ray Romano
Raymond "Ray" Barone
All 9
210

Patricia Heaton
Debra Barone
209

Brad Garrett
Robert Charles Barone

Doris Roberts
Marie Barone
210

Peter Boyle
Frank Barone
206

Madylin Sweeten
Alexandra "Ally" Barone
146

Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten
Michael and Geoffrey Barone
136

Monica Horan
Amy MacDougall-Barone
64

text: Ray Barone

text:
Raymond Albert Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"The Finale"
Final character appearance: King of Queens – "Raygin' Bulls"

Created by
Ray Romano & Philip Rosenthal

Portrayed by
Ray Romano

Number of episodes
210

Information

Occupation
Sportswriter

Family
Frank Barone (father)
Marie Barone (mother)
Robert Barone (brother)
Mel Barone (uncle)

Spouse(s)
Debra Barone (since 1988)

Children
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter)
Geoffrey Barone (twin son)
Michael Barone (twin son)

Relatives
Warren Whelan (father-in-law)
Lois Whelan (mother-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law)
Jennifer Whelan (sister-in-law)
Gerard (maternal cousin)

text: Raymond Albert "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano) is the protagonist of the sitcom. Most of the series’ storylines revolve around him, hence the title of the show. He lives on Long Island, with his wife Debra and their three children Ally and twin boys, Michael and Geoffrey Barone. He attended St. Johns University (New York) in Queens, New York. Ray is well-known through the community due to his profession as a sportswriter for Newsday. In some episodes, he is seen reviewing a famous sportsperson. However, this is shown to have subsided in the later seasons. Due to the nature of his work, Ray is often seen on the couch, watching sports, rather than assisting Debra with household duties and the children.

text: At times Raymond appears rather introverted. He often rants in a nasal, whiny voice. His fears include not being liked by everyone and confronting his parents, particularly his mother. He often gets annoyed because he feels that he and Debra lack intimacy. He is also promoted as chief sports writer.

text: Parts of the backstory of his childhood have explained Raymond’s attitude and personality as an adult. Raymond and Robert were spoiled by their mother. However, their father, who worked long hours, had been neglectful in showing them affection and instead showed verbal abuse. Ray has sometimes shown this pattern of behavior in his reluctance to participate with his own children.

text: A running gag in the show is how much Ray was mothered and spoiled by his mother, while Robert was neglected. Raymond was pampered by Marie, which in turn, made him lazy and causing him to act like a child, and very often, to defend himself to Debra, he goes to Marie for advice and protection. He is also very scared of her and often sides with her instead of Debra.

text: In 2004, TV Guide ranked Ray Barone number 10 on its '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time' list.[1]

text: The character has made several crossover appearances:

text:
1997: Cosby – "Lucas Raymondicus"
1998: The Nanny – "The Reunion Show"
1998–2005: The King of Queens (4 episodes)
1999: Becker – "Drive, They Said"

text: Debra Barone

text:
Debra Louise Whelan Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"The Finale"

Portrayed by
Patricia Heaton

Number of episodes
209

Information

Occupation
Homemaker

Family
Warren Whelan (father)
Lois Whelan (mother)
Jennifer Whelan (sister)

Spouse(s)
Raymond Barone (since 1988)

Children
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter)
Geoffrey Barone (twin son)
Michael Barone (twin son)

Relatives
Frank Barone (father-in-law)
Marie Barone (mother-in-law)
Robert Barone (brother-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law)
Mel Barone (uncle-in-law)
Gerard (cousin-in-law)

text: Debra Louise Whelan-Barone (Patricia Heaton), is the wife of Ray. She was raised by wealthy parents, Lois (Katherine Helmond) and Warren Whelan (Robert Culp), and grew up in an upper-class background, unlike the other major characters in the sitcom. She has a sister, Jennifer Whelan (Ashley Crow), who is seen only once in the entire series. Following her graduation from high school, she traveled a lot and dated many famous sportspeople. Before marrying Ray, she worked in public relations for the New York Rangers hockey team.

text: Debra is vulnerable and emotionally sensitive. She is unhappy as a housewife, having to put up not only with Ray’s immature jokes and lazy behavior, but more with his intrusive family members, who often barge in uninvited, leaving havoc in their wake. Though Ray's parents frustrate her, she rarely shows her feelings to them, resulting in occasional bursts in private of yelling, stomping, and throwing objects.

text: Debra has a feud with Marie, who shows a large amount of distaste of her ability to be a mother and a wife. Throughout the series, Debra often finds Robert the most patient of the Barones, and at times she is shown to get along well with Frank, who thinks of her as a daughter and understands Debra's intolerance towards Marie.

text: She is also depressed about her parents when they were in an argument, and she was distraught when they were divorcing. Even though she grew up in a traditional conservative family, she was a free-spirited and a popular teen in her early years. Ray once noted that, during college, she went to Mardi Gras and flashed her breasts to many people who gave her beads and also ended up topless in the newspaper.

text: Her main catchphrase is, usually addressed to Ray in an ominous voice when he has done something bad, "What did you do?"

text: The character has also appeared in the King of Queens episode "Dire Strayts".

text: Barone children

text:
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (154 episodes; played by Madylin Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's only daughter. She is six years old at the beginning of the series, and is fourteen by the series finale. She was named for Romano's real-life daughter. In the beginning, she is somewhat mischievous and naughty much like her brothers, but becomes loyal and helpful by the end. However, she still occasionally fibs and answers back to her parents if she doesn't get what she wants, such as a $250 silk dress which would only be worn once.
Geoffrey and Michael Barone (130 episodes; played by Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's identical twin sons. They are two years old at the beginning of the series and are ten years old by the series finale. A running joke is Frank's insistence that Geoffrey may have homosexual tendencies, such as when he walks in on the two boys rehearsing to play fairies in a school production. The two are stereotypically playful, energetic, and prone to causing chaos even without trying but in general are well-behaved. (In the pilot episode, they were played by a different set of twins plus a set of triplets and were called "Gregory" and "Matthew" after Romano's real-life twin sons.)

text: Marie Barone

text:
Marie Janella Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Doris Roberts

Number of episodes
210

Information

Occupation
Homemaker

Spouse(s)
Frank Barone (since 1957)

Children
Raymond "Ray" Barone (son)
Robert Barone (son)

Relatives
Debra Barone (daughter-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter)
Geoffrey Barone (grandson)
Michael Barone (grandson)
Mel Barone (brother-in-law)
Gerard (nephew)

text: Marie Janella Barone (Doris Roberts) is the wife of Frank, and matriarch of the Barone family. As a housewife, she excels in household duties, including cooking, cleaning, and generally keeping and maintaining a good household. Marie appears to have narcissistic personality disorder, and her treatment of people due to this becomes a focal point of several episodes of the show. She is very nosy, snobbish, arrogant, insulting, and has a strong hold over her family due to her penchant for her likely narcissistic abuse, bullying those around her with guilt and a victim complex to get her way. She has very high self-esteem and believes herself as a positive example of what every wife, mother and woman should be. She takes special pride in her Italian background and even arranges a tour of Italy for the whole family out of her own savings.

text: Throughout the series, she is shown to have favorites with certain people, with her son Raymond being the first and Debra being possibly the last. Other than Frank, everyone has a hard time standing up to Marie due to her ability of making people feel guilty, although Debra does occasionally take a stand. She is well aware of Raymond’s reluctance to stand up to her, and in many situations takes advantage of this to achieve her own interests.

text: It is established in the flashbacks of "How They Met" that she has never liked Debra ever since Debra asked Ray to fix her futon at dinner time, but Marie has never admitted her dislike of Debra outright and is careful about not saying it out loud, but she never ceases the chance to annoy her or indirectly insult her on many occasions just for her own pleasure.

text: She has saved a little money on the side every day and admitted to Debra that she collected over $46,000 since her wedding. She also sends money to South America to a fundraiser. She is also shown to actually control the family's finances in front of Frank, who always thought he was the one in charge and remained oblivious to much of her savings or expenses.

text: As her boys were growing up, she spoiled her younger son while completely cutting Robert out of the picture. However, in a later episode, she claims that this was because Robert was able to take care of himself and was independent, in contrast to Ray who was a sensitive, timid, needy little boy (this was likely said just to manipulate Robert into getting Amy pregnant, as both he and Raymond note and Marie herself winks to Ray, indicating this is another manipulation). In some cases, however, she is shown to care and be overprotective of Robert as well. This includes when he had nightmares growing up, when he was gored by a bull, when he was interviewing for an FBI position, and her frequent attempts to get Robert out of the police force in effort to keep him safe.

text: Marie is also seen constantly arguing with her husband Frank in nearly every episode, with them constantly fighting and annoying each other. However, in some situations, there have been times when they do evidence their love for one another, despite their reluctance to be open with it. Much to Debra's annoyance, even Debra's parents find them more interesting, since they are honest to each other.

text: Her catchphrase is "I don't like that, [insert name]." whenever anyone says anything inappropriate.

text: The final episode reveals that her birthday is December 9 (this was one of Frank's classic "one-liners" as he adds "1802").

text: The character has also appeared in the King of Queens episode "Rayny Day".

text: Frank Barone

text:
Frank Oscar Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Peter Boyle

Number of episodes
207

Information

Occupation
Bookkeeper (retired)

Spouse(s)
Marie Barone (since 1957)

Children
Raymond "Ray" Barone (son)
Robert Barone (son)

Relatives
Debra Barone (daughter-in-law)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter)
Geoffrey Barone (grandson)
Michael Barone (grandson)
Mel Barone (older brother)
Gerard (nephew by marriage)

text: Francis Oscar "Frank" Barone (Peter Boyle) is the husband of Marie and a retired bookkeeper. In the episode "The Gift" (season 2), it is Frank's 65th birthday, making his year of birth 1932. He can be seen as aggressive, selfish, uncaring, and masculine. Although it is briefly mentioned that he has a sensitive side, Frank refuses to accept it. In episodes like "Pet the Bunny", "Christmas Present", "Fathers Knows Least" and "Frank Goes Downstairs", he indicates that, though capable of patience and kindness, he deliberately cultivates a tough guy persona. However, Frank is sometimes shown to be a good family man, such as taking the fall for Debra when Marie's prized canister goes missing or even trying to console Robert after he becomes morose from a breakup.

text: He is always seen at Ray and Debra’s house on the black armchair with his pants unbuttoned and zipper open watching sports or at home ordering Marie to prepare his meals while sitting and reading the paper. During his sons’ childhood, Frank was virtually absent and had refused to show any sign of affection and love to either boy. He was constantly at loggerheads with his wife Marie to how the boys were to be raised. He is very opinionated, outspoken, and has no problem insulting family members and strangers out in the open (this applies in particular to his wife, Marie). He calls men names like "Nancy", "Shirley", "Peaches", and "Mary" who do not live up to his standards to what it takes to be a man. His main catchphrase on the show is "Holy crap".

text: Throughout the sitcom, Frank is shown to have socially conservative values, particularly regarding minority groups such as gays and lesbians, and ethnic groups such as the Koreans and Japanese to which he occasionally mutters "Japanese crap". He doesn’t follow or accept anything outside the social norms, to which Marie proclaims "Frank lives in blissful ignorance". Despite Marie’s constant self-regard, she is accepting of these minority groups. Much to other characters' dismay, he's not above engaging in illegal or dubious activities such as gambling or stealing cable from Ray.

text: In his spare time, Frank is a skilled handyman and a history buff, with a particular interest in the American Civil War. He's frequently seen making repairs in Ray and Debra's house, and in "Frank Goes Downstairs" is injured while fixing their staircase. His regular get-away activity is having naked pool bath with his elderly friends at a community center referred to as "the lodge". On every other Saturday, he takes Raymond's children to The Happy Zone.

text: Frank is also a war veteran. He fought in the Korean War and he uses this as a reference for recounting stories of survival and how he came to be a "man". In one particular incident, where all three Barone men were pretending to go to counseling sessions it was revealed that Ray and Robert had a long line of physically disciplinarian grandparents. However, Frank vowed to never be physically abusive towards his sons, never enforcing corporal punishment on them and never engaging in anything more than yelling at them.

text: Though for the most part largely anti-social and honest in his relationships with others, he is often depicted as the only member of the family who is not only unafraid of Marie, but the only one who will put his foot down and stand up to her, much to the combined relief and horror of the other characters. Many of their arguments revolve around trivial and even irrational subjects, such as who invented the lawn and literally comparing apples and oranges.

text: They also come into conflict over Debra, whom Frank, unlike Marie, overwhelmingly loves, and even tends to be more affectionate with than he is with either of his sons. True to his blunt personality, in one episode in which the entire family (the adults) were at a counseling session with their church priest Father Hubley, he yelled out in front of everyone that the main reason why Marie looks down on Debra – "She [Debra] married him [Raymond], and [Marie] still can't deal with it."

text: Robert Barone

text:
Robert Charles Barone

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"Finale"

Portrayed by
Brad Garrett

Number of episodes
209

Information

Gender
Male

Occupation
Police Officer (NYPD)

Family
Frank Barone (father)
Marie Barone (mother)
Raymond "Ray" Barone (brother)
Mel Barone (uncle)

Spouse(s)
Joanne Glotz (1994–1995; divorced)
Amy MacDougall-Barone (since 2003)

Relatives
Debra Barone (sister-in-law)
Hank MacDougall (father-in-law)
Pat MacDougall (mother-in-law)
Peter MacDougall (brother-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece)
Geoffrey Barone (nephew)
Michael Barone (nephew)
Gerard (maternal cousin)

text: Robert Charles Barone (Brad Garrett) is Raymond's older brother (4 years older than Ray) and the first-born son of Frank and Marie. His birthday is April 6 and his birth weight was 12 pounds (5443 g). Standing at 6' 8½" (204 cm), he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the biggest being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, commonly known as the "Crazy Chin", which he developed to cope with anxiety which started when Raymond was born and all of Marie's attention turned to Raymond. Robert is a loving uncle and still deeply cares for his little brother Raymond. Robert has been a police officer with the N.Y.P.D for 27 years, eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant and then, by the end of the series, Lieutenant. His height, appearance and demeanor are the source of much humor, but despite his imposing size, Robert is a very skilled dancer.

text: After divorcing his first wife Joanne in 1995, Robert moved back in with his parents, became a workaholic, and was acknowledged by the NYPD for never being absent one day of his career for three years straight. Robert's advanced skills as a police officer even got him an interview with the FBI, but his mother intentionally interfered in the interview process. Robert was passed over but simply because the other candidates were more qualified. He was injured on the job when he was gored in the bottom by a bull. When he returned, he left the police force out of a lack of self-confidence, and became a telemarketer. Later, he took a side job as an alarm salesman for a brief time (one episode) but returned to the NYPD, mainly with Raymond's help.

text: Robert dated Debra's best friend Amy MacDougall for several years, despite a number of breakups. After a bad date with yet another woman, Robert ran into Amy in a bar and they soon got back together and married in 2003. In 2004, they purchased Frank and Marie's home for $26,000, but they had to welcome them back in when the elder Barones were kicked out of a retirement community in New Jersey in the episode "Not So Fast."

text: Robert is very jealous of his brother Raymond, who was favored by their mother, and though Robert is four years older than Ray and much taller, he constantly feels as if he's stuck in Ray's shadow. Despite the obvious favoring of Ray, Marie has claimed that there was never any favoritism. He has a very dark sense of humor and will make fun of Raymond to no end to get a little belated revenge. He is also known for being very passive-aggressive.

text: While he enjoys taunting Ray himself, Robert is very protective of his younger brother; in one episode, he overhears a radio sports show host insulting Ray at length and angrily humiliates the man in retaliation. He also respects Ray as a well-meaning, if generally absent, father, in the pattern of Frank. Robert serves as the moral conscience in the family, as the most virtuous of the characters, and often pleads with others when they are considering doing something questionable.

text: Robert's catchphrase in the show is when he finds the family gathered together silent and says: "Is this about me?"

text: Robert also appears in the King of Queens episode "Road Rayge".

text: Amy MacDougall-Barone

text:
Amy Louise MacDougall-Barone

First appearance
"Who's Handsome?"

Last appearance
"The Finale"

Portrayed by
Monica Horan

Number of episodes
66

Information

Gender
Female

Family
Hank MacDougall (father)
Pat MacDougall (mother)
Peter MacDougall (brother)

Spouse(s)
Robert Barone (since 2003)

Relatives
Frank Barone (father-in-law)
Marie Barone (mother-in-law)
Ray Barone (brother-in-law)
Debra Whelan-Barone (sister-in-law)
Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece by marriage)
Geoffrey Barone (nephew by marriage)
Michael Barone (nephew by marriage)
Mel Barone (uncle-in-law)
Gerard (cousin in-law)

text: Amy Louise MacDougall (Monica Horan) is Robert's on-and-off girlfriend, and eventual wife. They met because Amy is Debra's best friend. She and Debra share the same middle name. Although Amy marries Robert in Season 7, Episode 24: "Robert's Wedding", she also appears in the previous seasons. Many issues have caused Amy and Robert to break up in the first six seasons, with one being caused by Raymond and another being that Robert had sex with another woman. Frequently, Amy apologizes to someone even if she didn't do anything wrong.

text: She is a confident woman who was raised in a family of devout Protestants, who live in Pennsylvania. She describes her parents as "people who wouldn't yell if they were on fire." Amy was a virgin when she met Robert, which Ray had a hard time understanding, as Amy was 33 at the time. She eventually lost her virginity to Robert before they were married, but they were spotted having sex by their neighbors, causing Robert's neighbors to sign a sheet mandating bedroom curtains in the apartment building.

text: Recurring

text: Hank and Pat MacDougall (13 episodes; played by Fred Willard and Georgia Engel) are Amy's parents. They first appear in "Just a Formality" (episode 7.14). Devout conservative Presbyterians, they oppose their daughter's marriage because of Robert's previous marital status and Catholic faith. These matters are not helped as they soon learn that the MacDougalls and the Barones are not the most compatible of families; the two sides still do not like each other after many tries at truce, although the Barones have always loved Amy, and the MacDougalls come to tolerate Robert.

text: Hank is a former professor and is now a high school principal. He is known to be opposed to smoking, and his line when he sees someone smoking is "Why don't you just drink poison?". Pat is a housewife, and has a high-pitched, gentle voice. She is shown to be a protective and loving mother.

text:
Peter MacDougall (10 episodes; played by Chris Elliott) is Amy's older brother. He has a strange, psychologically unstable personality (Robert once stated that "There are squirrels juggling knives in his head") and a duplicitous, quick-witted mind. Opposed to his sister's marriage, he insists that he will keep trying to break it up, which explains the reason why during Robert's wedding that Robert and Ray looked at him when the pastor asked if anyone objected to Robert and Amy's marriage. Peter is single but lives with his pet house cat, Miss Puss. At first, Peter and Robert hate each other, but in "Peter on the Couch," the two find common ground in the fact that they both suffered from being the overshadowed older sibling and living with their parents. He is fond of Ray, although the feeling isn't mutual. Peter was originally introduced as "Russell", the owner of a comic book shop (played by comedian Paul Reubens) in a one-time appearance. Russell abruptly became Peter because in "Just a Formality" (episode 7.14), Peter mentions meeting Ray at the comic book store (which was Russell).
Lois and Warren Whelan (14 and 11 episodes, played by Katherine Helmond and Robert Culp) are Debra's parents. Even though they are an authoritarian conservative family, they are shown to have a breakdown and actually hate their marriage and hobbies. They are from Connecticut. They are also upper class, and have different beliefs from the middle class Barones. However, the Whelans have a huge amount of respect towards them for their bluntness and start to imitate them, angering Debra.

text: Lois is a housewife, and traveled around on fundraisers. Her line of work was not mentioned. She is friendly and patient, but easily insulted. She also appears to be nervous around Robert, who feels the same way. She has a struggling relationship with Warren, and even though she suggested and went to counseling in New Jersey, he eventually files in for a divorce, which she accepts, since she cannot find love in her marriage anymore.

text: Warren is a businessman, achieving success at a young age, and a caring, happy-go-lucky father. He is very passionate about antiques, and, in a running joke on the show, is often referred to as having a problem with alcohol. He had problems with Lois about their marriage. They agreed to go on counseling in New Jersey, but they eventually divorced. Debra was distraught and furious with Lois because she thought that she filed it, but Warren tells her the truth.

text:
Andy (26 episodes; played by Andy Kindler) – A fellow sportswriter and friend of Raymond's, and a bachelor. He is known to have bad luck with women.
Gianni (25 episodes; played by Jon Manfrellotti) – A contractor, ex-futon repairman, and friend of Raymond's. He briefly dated Amy, much to Robert's consternation, and is disliked by Debra as immature. He worked with Ray when they were younger. He also appeared on The King of Queens. Jon Manfrellotti first appeared as a cable guy from Lynbrook cable in "The Game" (episode 1.17).
Bernie and Linda Gruenfelder (17 and 11 episodes; played by Tom McGowan and Maggie Wheeler) – Married couple, friends of Ray and Debra. They are very happy together and express their love in public.
Kevin Daniels (9 episodes; played by Kevin James) – Announcer for the Mets, and friend and golf buddy of Raymond. He also hosts "Sports Talk with Roy Firestone" in "Ray's on TV" (episode 2.1).
Stan (9 episodes; played by Victor Raider-Wexler) – Friend of Marie and Frank.
Garvin (9 episodes; played by Len Lesser) – A friend of Frank's. A running gag is that when he sees Raymond, he shouts, "Hey, Ray's here! Ha-ha-ha!" while shaking his arms in the air. Lesser used a similar gag on Seinfeld when he portrayed Uncle Leo, enthusiastically saying "Jerry! Hello!" while holding out his arms every time he greeted his nephew Jerry.
Sgt. Judy Potter (9 episodes; played by Sherri Shepherd) – Robert's NYPD patrol partner.

text: Minor

text:
Nemo (7 episodes; played by Joseph V. Perry, Robert Ruth) – Pizza restaurant owner. Disappears when Marco takes over his pizzeria and calls it Marco's.
Gerard (7 episodes; played by Fred Stoller) – Ray and Robert's annoying, unintelligent and hypochondriacal cousin who makes several appearances. He plays the accordion (mostly the first notes of Deep Purple's Smoke on the Water or The Carpenters' (They Long to Be) Close to You).
Father Hubley (6 episodes; played by Charles Durning) – The local parish priest. He loves Marie's lasagna. Very wary of the Barones, his long-time parishioners, but usually has helpful advice to offer.
Stefania Fogagnolo (6 episodes; played by Alex Meneses) – Robert's hot and jilted Italian ex-girlfriend he met while vacationing with the Barone clan in Italy. He had a fling with her in Italy while he was still with Amy, which later causes breakups with both girlfriends.
Marco Fogagnolo (6 episodes; played by David Proval) – The intimidating and threatening Italian father of Stefania, who takes over Nemo's Pizza after the family moves to America, jokingly implying that he "did away with" Nemo. Although he dislikes Robert, he befriends Frank and Marie but the two end up fighting for his friendship.
Molly Ardolino (6 episodes; played by Ray Romano's actual daughter, Alexandra Romano) – Daughter of Peggy Ardolino (Ray's archenemy and Debra's friend) and Ally's best friend. However, she was first seen as a flower girl in a flashback of Ray and Debra's wedding.
Max (5 episodes; played by executive producer and main writer Phil Rosenthal's real-life father, Max Rosenthal) – A lodge friend of Frank, seen in various lodge-related episodes.
Angelina (4 episodes; played by Tina Arning) – a very attractive waitress from Nemo's. Ray often goes to the restaurant just to fantasize about her beauty. She appears in four episodes.
Uncle Mel Barone (4 episodes; played by Phil Leeds) – Frank's older brother. Mel is mean and always seems agitated. A running gag is since he was never married, and sometimes shows up at family events with other men, he mentions at least once in every episode he is in fact, not gay.
Bill Parker (3 episodes; played by David Hunt) – Ray's nemesis neighbor. Parker is often seen showing-up Ray as a father, and Ray often makes jokes that Debra wishes she had married him instead, (the in-joke being that he is played by Patricia Heaton's real-life husband). Ray's character has said lines that has him thinking out loud that his kids are possibly Bill Parker's doing, because all the kids playing his children on the show are blond, like Bill Parker.
Albert (3 episodes; played by Ray Romano's real-life father, Albert Romano) – A lodge friend of Frank, seen in various lodge-related episodes.
Lee (3 episodes; played by Debra Mooney) – Friend of Marie and Frank's
Dave (2 episodes; played by Dave Attell) – A friend of Raymond and a member of the Nemo's sponsored basketball team in "Captain Nemo" (episode 1.11).
Joanne Glotz (2 episodes; played by Suzie Plakson) – Robert's first wife, who is depicted very negatively. She and Robert divorced before the beginning of the series. She formerly worked as a stripper in Atlantic City named Cinnamon. Marie knew about her former job since she appeared on the show, but kept quiet for Robert's sake until Joanne asked for a divorce.
Bryan Trenberth (2 episodes; played by Dan Castellaneta) – The T-ball "healthy snacks" overseer that Debra tangled with and Ray finally blew up on in "T-Ball" (episode 2.42). He was also Coach Bryan in "It's Supposed To Be Fun" (episode 6.8).
Harriet Lichtman – Marie's bridge partner, and Frank's fantasy woman. Often talked about but only appears in Season 7, Episode 20: "Who's Next".
Abe Warchiser aka "Bullethead" (John David Conti) – Frank's worst enemy at his lodge, seen in various lodge-related episodes. He proved he hated Frank in the episode "Franks Tribute" by telling Robert and Raymond "I don't like Frank Barone!"
Peggy Ardolino (Amy Aquino) – Single mother of Ally's best friend who has bullied Ray and later becomes Peter's girlfriend. Referred to as "The Cookie Lady" and "Peggy Hitler" by Ray. Whenever they see each other, Peggy says, "Hello, Ally's dad," while he just says "Hello... Peggy," in a very intimidating way. Debra ends up scaring Peggy off so she would leave Ray alone saying, "Nobody beats up my husband." Her characteristics are similar to Hitler, according to Ray.
Shamsky II – the bulldog Robert gets in Season 1, Episode 19: "The Dog" after having him neutered and later finding out he was a pure bred used for breeding stock. Shamsky II, named for Robert's favourite baseball player Art Shamsky, makes brief cameos in other episodes.
Jennifer Whelan (Ashley Crow) – Debra's wayward sister who finally becomes a nun in "The Sister" (episode 4.6).