The Continuation Zone That Only Works Once
Three candles in a row with bodies gapping between them. Holds cleanly on the first retest back — but a second visit is a warning sign, not a repeat setup.
Before you start: Easiest to understand alongside Volume Imbalance and Propulsion Block.
Part of the My Edge Official framework — refined through thousands of hours of chart study.
Forms from three consecutive candles whose bodies gap from one another. Holds cleanly on the first retest — but a second visit is a warning sign, not a repeat setup.
- Theory
- Context
- Confirmation
- Execution
Theory
A Suspension Block forms when three consecutive same-direction candles each gap body-to-body from the one before — no wick-overlap requirement, unlike a Volume Imbalance or Fair Value Gap. It doesn't need a prior displacement or market structure shift to be valid — it's read directly off the body-gap sequence. Price typically reacts on the first retest, continuing the original move. A second retest is a different story: the zone's reliability is already spent, and price can push straight through and invert it instead of holding again.
Context
Assess: how many candles gapped in the sequence, whether this is the first or a repeat retest, higher-timeframe context, and — most importantly — whether the reaction is immediate or gradual.
| Volume Imbalance | Suspension Block | |
|---|---|---|
| Candles | 2 | 3 |
| Wick rule | Wicks still overlap | No overlap requirement |
| First retest | Reacts, but the zone is thin | Reacts, typically holds cleanly |
| Repeat retest | Can still be tapped again | Unreliable — often inverts |
Confirmation
⚠️ Never assume a Suspension Block holds on a second retest the way it did on the first — treat that return as the moment to check for absorption or rejection, not as automatic continuation.
Execution
Higher priority on the first retest, especially with an immediate reaction and alignment with higher-timeframe PD Arrays. On any later retest, priority shifts to structure and higher-timeframe context, since the block itself is no longer a reliable signal on its own.
How to Use It
In practice:
- Spot three consecutive same-direction candles with gapping bodies — that's the Suspension Block, no wick check needed.
- Trade the first retest as a continuation zone in the original direction.
- Treat a second retest as a warning sign, not a repeat setup — watch for failure or inversion instead of assuming it holds again.