misunderstanding smtpd_soft_error_limit

Hi,

Simple question about smtpd_soft_error_limit.
Postfix keeps a counter about sessions when a client violates
access_restrictions or uses a command which isnt implemented or .....
Suppose you have the option that clients should follow rfc 821 and a
client violates this rfc, the conection will be broken.
This will increase the counter? Suppose in 2 minutes of time, 11 clients
(from different ip addresses) come who do such stuff like this, then
postfix will delay all resonses with the value of smtpd_error_sleep_time
right? But suppose only such client tries to connect 13 times in two
minutes, will the delay also appear eventhough only one client is causing
this? This confuses me, because if a client does violate certain
restrictions the connection will be terminated anyway, so i dont
understand smtpd_hard_error_limit i guess?
Maybe my whole idea of this parameter is wrong?
Bye,

Mipam.