2 April 2026
Break of structure versus a probe
A practical distinction we use in workshops when price tags a level and snaps back.
Price can pierce a swing level without transferring control. We call that a probe when the candle extends beyond structure but closes back inside with little follow-through on the next bars. A break of structure, in our room, needs displacement: range expansion, decisive close beyond the level, and usually a failure of the other side to reclaim quickly.
During the weekend workshop we replay ASX open examples where the first five-minute spike tagged the prior day high and reversed. Students who labelled that spike as a break often spent the morning hunting continuation that never arrived. Students who waited for a lower-timeframe change of character after a true break took fewer trades — and argued less with the tape.
Your journal can track this with a simple column: BOS, probe, or unclear. If “unclear” dominates a week, widen the timeframe before shrinking your entry chart.