Swing Failure Pattern (SFP): When Price ReversesThe swing failure pattern is a liquidity event, not a candle pattern. It marks the moment when the market reaches for obvious stops, absorbs them, and reveals true intent.
An SFP forms when price trades beyond a well-defined swing high or low and then fails to hold acceptance outside that level. The extension triggers breakout entries and stop losses. The immediate rejection back inside the range confirms that the move was used to collect liquidity rather than to continue.
What the structure tells you
The key information is not the wick itself, but the context around it. The prior high or low must be obvious and widely watched. Equal highs, range extremes, or clean swing points carry the most liquidity. When price briefly breaks that level and closes back inside, the market signals that opposing orders have been filled.
This failure traps late participants. Breakout traders are positioned in the wrong direction, while stop losses from earlier positions have already been taken. That imbalance becomes fuel for the next move.
Why SFPs matter
SFPs often appear at major range boundaries or after extended directional moves. In ranges, they define the edges where reversals are most likely. In trends, they frequently mark local distribution or accumulation before a deeper retracement or full reversal.
The move after the SFP is usually cleaner than the move into it. Once liquidity is taken, price no longer needs to revisit the level. Structure shifts, momentum changes, and expansion follows away from the failed breakout.
How to use SFPs correctly
An SFP is not a signal by itself. It requires confirmation through acceptance back inside the range and alignment with higher-timeframe context. When combined with structure, it provides precise locations where risk can be defined tightly and intent is clear.
The market does not reverse because price touched a level. It reverses because liquidity was collected and the objective at that level was completed. The swing failure pattern is the footprint of that process.
