Reference
Trading Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the futures and smart money concepts we teach. We define jargon — we don't hide behind it.
- BISI / SIBI
- Buy-Side Imbalance, Sell-Side Inefficiency (bullish FVG) and Sell-Side Imbalance, Buy-Side Inefficiency (bearish FVG) — the directional labels for fair value gaps.
- Consequent Encroachment (CE)
- The 50% midpoint of a fair value gap. Price reacting to the CE rather than the full gap is a precision read used for entries and targets.
- Displacement
- A strong, decisive move that breaks structure and typically leaves a fair value gap behind — evidence of intent rather than noise.
- Drawdown
- The peak-to-trough decline in account equity. Controlling drawdown is central to survival — a 50% loss requires a 100% gain just to recover.
- Expectancy
- The average expected return per trade: (Win% × Avg Win) − (Loss% × Avg Loss), measured in R. Positive, rising expectancy — not win rate — determines profitability.
- Fair Value Gap (FVG)
- A three-candle price imbalance where the wicks of the first and third candle do not overlap, leaving an inefficiency the market often returns to fill. Bullish (BISI) or bearish (SIBI).
- Killzone
- A defined high-probability time window for trading (e.g., the morning macro or the 10:00 window). 'Time first, then price' — setups are only hunted at the right times.
- Liquidity
- Resting orders above old highs (buy-side) and below old lows (sell-side). Markets are drawn toward liquidity; identifying the 'draw on liquidity' frames a session's bias.
- Opening Range Gap (ORG)
- The gap between the prior session's settlement and the new session's open, used as a reference level and the basis of a core Blueprint setup.
- Order Block
- The last opposing candle before a strong, displacing move. Defined by specific body-based prices (not a loose zone), often acting as support or resistance on return.
- Plan Adherence
- The percentage of trades that fully followed your written plan. The headline discipline metric — a target of ≥90% — and a better signal of skill than P&L.
- R-Multiple
- Profit or loss expressed in units of initial risk (R). Thinking in R keeps dollar amounts from clouding judgment.
- Trailing Drawdown
- A funded-account rule where the maximum loss threshold trails your highest balance, tightening as you profit. A common reason traders pass a challenge but fail to keep the account.
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