Minecraft anticheat guide
FairPlay Scaffold Sneak and Edge Timing Checks
How FairPlay's sneak and edge timing checks for scaffolding compare sneak state with bridge edges, and what staff should test in staging first.
What do the sneak and edge timing checks watch?
Sneak and edge timing checks watch when a player sneaks, stops sneaking and moves near the edge of a bridge. Six FairPlay checks sit here: ScaffoldSafewalkEdge, ScaffoldSafewalkTiming, ScaffoldAutoSneak, ScaffoldEagle, ScaffoldSneakSpeed and ScaffoldSneakAcceleration. Together they compare sneak state, edge position and speed with the placements that followed.
Which edge and sneak timings do they target?
These checks target sneak timing that looks mechanical when set against the edge. The patterns concern rhythm and position, not the act of sneaking itself.
What legitimate sneaking can resemble these checks?
Sneaking at an edge is a basic way to stop from falling off a bridge, and many players do it by hand. Eagle-style bridging is a known technique that some servers teach openly. Movement effects and surfaces also change speed while sneaking.
How should staff read edge timing alerts?
Edge timing alerts are easiest to judge by watching. Observe a short bridge, or ask for a recording, and look for the same rhythm across several edges. Note whether the player was over water, sand or slime, and whether the alert came during a long straight line or a short section.
What should you tune only in staging?
Sneak and edge checks respond closely to input timing, so each change can shift alert output. Change those settings only on staging. Test hand sneaking, toggled sneaking, Eagle-style bridging on straight and diagonal paths, and a sneak session on water or soul sand. Compare the output before and after each change.
What does an edge timing review look like?
A review of an edge timing alert has four parts. First, confirm where the sneak toggle happened relative to the last block. Second, check whether the player was slowed by the sneak itself or by the surface. Third, see whether the rhythm repeated within one session or across several. Fourth, note how the sneak was held, toggled or tapped.
The safest review is a side-by-side one. Record the same bridge on the same route once with hand sneaking and once with toggled sneaking, then compare the alert output on your staging server. Keep the recordings with your staff notes so a later reviewer can see what was tested.
What should a staging sneak test include?
A useful staging test covers the sneak styles players are likely to use, not only the one you expect. Build the test around how players actually bridge: a hand-sneak edge, a toggled sneak, an Eagle-style line and a sneak on a soft surface. Run each style several times, and keep the bridge length and route the same so the output is comparable. Record which runs alerted and which did not, along with the surface and any movement effect.
Do not treat one clean run as proof of anything. Use the results to decide what to change, if anything, and to explain the decision to staff. Store the run notes beside the server settings they describe, so a later change to those settings can be checked against the same runs without guessing which conditions applied.
What have we not verified?
No detection rate, error rate or staging result is given for these checks. The descriptions reflect what each check compares. Confirm the behavior on your own server and clients before relying on any edge timing alert.
FAQ
Is hand sneaking safe from these checks?
This article does not answer that. Check the behavior on your own staging server, using the bridging style you expect from players.
Why does a player on soul sand trigger a sneak speed alert?
Soul sand and related effects change movement speed while sneaking. Run the same route in staging before reading the alert.
Should we allow Eagle bridging?
That is a policy choice for your server. Decide the rule first, then test how the checks respond to it on staging.