Excellent point. And, one that as a Frog user, I missed. I can understand the large amount of extra "tainted float" angle needed when releasing from a CB or SPD pedal - I'm assuming that's when the cleat is working against the spring and forcing open the attachments on the pedal. Makes sense that this would be a fairly long arc to keep the torque on your knee at a minimum.

Frogs are quite different though. The pedal has no spring, that function being handled by a vary small elastomer in the cleat assembly. Frogs also release one-sided only. Their pedal float itself (untainted) is very large, something like 20-22 degrees. Their locking cam design makes the "tainted" float very small in comparison (I'd estimate only a couple degrees or so. The release is very fast and smooth - there is almost no resistance at the release point. It's just a quick twist and you're out.

So on a CB/SPD pedal, to release, one would move through a small free float arc, then a much longer arc during which the pedal is releasing. And staying within the free arc does not affect the release mech at all. On a Frog, the end of the freefloat arc and the actual release point are much closer together and without the transition during which you work against the pedal spring.

Based on what I've seen, when mfgrs talk about "float" they are talking about free, "untainted" float only.