Distance between the object and the sensor

Hello, we're two high school students working on an engineering science project. We're using the “TCS3200 RGB Color Sensor” to add functionality to a robotic arm. Our goal is to take a colored ball and put it in the bowl of the same color. How far must the object be from the sensor to be detected? Must there be contact between the colored object and the sensor?

Thank you in advance for your answer.