Minecraft anticheat guide
FairPlay Reach, Hitbox, and Occlusion False Positive Control
How server owners should think about reach, hitbox, block occlusion, latency, rotation, and geometry when tuning FairPlay combat checks.
Reach is geometry plus timing
Reach is not just a raw distance number. A serious check needs eye position, target hitbox, rotation state, packet timing, possible latency uncertainty, and block occlusion. A single hard distance threshold can be too blunt for real servers.
FairPlay's hitbox, reach, cone, and occlusion coverage is meant to give combat-focused servers stronger proof around whether an attack was plausible.
Occlusion matters
Attacks through blocks, suspicious line-of-sight, and block-covered targets need separate handling from open-air reach. Block occlusion checks help staff distinguish long hits from hits that should not have had a clean path at all.
Tuning advice
Use debug variables before punishment. Account for knockback, teleport, server corrections, high ping, target interpolation, and custom combat plugins. Configure mitigation first, then add automatic punishment only after enough clean production evidence.
FAQ
Is reach only distance?
No. Proper reach validation depends on geometry, timing, hitbox state, rotation, and latency context.
Can FairPlay detect attacks through blocks?
FairPlay includes hitbox and block occlusion coverage for attacks where server-side geometry matters.