Judas or Breakdown? The Reclaim Clock

At the low, a Judas swing and a real markdown look identical — both are a sweep of an obvious level on heavy volume. Only one thing separates them, and it is not the shape of the candle. It is whether price reclaims the level it broke, and how fast. This classifies the sweep before you decide whether to trade it.

Minutes since the sweep low / high 10 min

Count from the extreme print, not from the open. The clock is the whole test — a reclaim that takes 45 minutes is not the same event as one that takes five.

0153045+

0–15 min · reclaim window

15–20 min · decaying

20+ min · acceptance

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Set the clock and answer each question to classify the sweep.

A classifier, not a signal. It answers one question only — is this event a Judas or a real breakdown? — and a JUDAS verdict is permission to look for an entry, never an entry itself. Direction shown for a downside sweep (bullish Judas); mirror every term for an upside sweep.