diff --git a/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/model/FieldDef.java b/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/model/FieldDef.java
index bcc96c6c0..736a255d7 100644
--- a/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/model/FieldDef.java
+++ b/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/model/FieldDef.java
@@ -36,7 +36,15 @@ public class FieldDef implements Serializable {
 
 	private double weight;
 
-	private int limit = -1;
+	/**
+	 * Sets maximum size for the repeatable fields in the model. -1 for unbounded size.
+	 */
+	private int size = -1;
+
+	/**
+	 * Sets maximum length for field values in the model. -1 for unbounded length.
+	 */
+	private int length = -1;
 
 	private Map<String, Number> params;
 
@@ -73,7 +81,12 @@ public class FieldDef implements Serializable {
 		if (params == null) {
 			params = new HashMap<>();
 		}
-		params.put("limit", getLimit());
+
+		//TODO verify that the init signatures for the distance algos are all the same!
+		/*
+		params.put("size", getSize());
+		params.put("length", getLength());
+		*/
 		params.put("weight", getWeight());
 		return PaceConfig.paceResolver.getDistanceAlgo(getAlgo(), params);
 	}
@@ -98,11 +111,6 @@ public class FieldDef implements Serializable {
 		this.overrideMatch = overrideMatch;
 	}
 
-	@Override
-	public String toString() {
-		return new Gson().toJson(this);
-	}
-
 	public double getWeight() {
 		return weight;
 	}
@@ -119,12 +127,21 @@ public class FieldDef implements Serializable {
 		this.algo = algo;
 	}
 
-	public int getLimit() {
-		return limit;
+
+	public int getSize() {
+		return size;
 	}
 
-	public void setLimit(final int limit) {
-		this.limit = limit;
+	public void setSize(int size) {
+		this.size = size;
+	}
+
+	public int getLength() {
+		return length;
+	}
+
+	public void setLength(int length) {
+		this.length = length;
 	}
 
 	public Map<String, Number> getParams() {
@@ -146,4 +163,10 @@ public class FieldDef implements Serializable {
 	public void setIgnoreMissing(boolean ignoreMissing) {
 		this.ignoreMissing = ignoreMissing;
 	}
+
+	@Override
+	public String toString() {
+		return new Gson().toJson(this);
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/util/BlockProcessor.java b/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/util/BlockProcessor.java
index f5a41f5c5..2b2ddf02d 100644
--- a/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/util/BlockProcessor.java
+++ b/dnet-pace-core/src/main/java/eu/dnetlib/pace/util/BlockProcessor.java
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ public class BlockProcessor {
 
                     if (!idCurr.equals(idPivot) && (fieldCurr != null)) {
 
-                        final ScoreResult sr = similarity(algo, pivot, curr);
+                        final ScoreResult sr = algo.between(pivot, curr, dedupConf);
                         log.debug(sr.toString()+"SCORE "+ sr.getScore());
                         emitOutput(sr, idPivot, idCurr, context);
                         i++;
@@ -171,15 +171,6 @@ public class BlockProcessor {
         }
     }
 
-    private ScoreResult similarity(final PaceDocumentDistance algo, final MapDocument a, final MapDocument b) {
-        try {
-            return algo.between(a, b, dedupConf);
-        } catch(Throwable e) {
-            log.error(String.format("\nA: %s\n----------------------\nB: %s", a, b), e);
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException(e);
-        }
-    }
-
     private boolean mustSkip(final String idPivot) {
         return dedupConf.getWf().getSkipList().contains(getNsPrefix(idPivot));
     }