Advanced ICT 2024–25ICT Trading EducationArticle 69 of 100
ICT Suspension Block: The Order Block Hanging Between Two Liquidity Pools
The Suspension Block is an Order Block variant introduced in the 2024–2025 ICT teaching period. It forms when a displacement candle hangs between two liquidity pools — not reaching either the BSL above or the SSL below — creating a zone of suspended institutional orders at a specific price level. Unlike a standard OB which forms before a move, the Suspension Block forms inside a move that is pausing mid-delivery, making it a precision re-entry zone when price returns to it.
The Inner Circle Traders
Updated July 2026
9 min read
Cluster: Advanced ICT 2024–25
Key Takeaways
- The Suspension Block forms when a displacement candle is "suspended" in the middle of a price range — the move was strong enough to create an OB sub-structure but not strong enough to reach the next liquidity pool
- The defining characteristic is that the displacement creating the Suspension Block neither cleared the BSL above nor the SSL below — it stopped mid-range, suspending institutional orders at the displacement zone
- When price returns to the Suspension Block after the initial displacement, it encounters the same suspended institutional orders that paused the original move — making the SB a high-conviction re-entry zone
- The Suspension Block is identified on the lower timeframe as the final candle before the displacement paused — specifically the candle whose close marks the pause level
- Suspension Blocks are most powerful when they align with existing PD arrays (FVG, OB) at the same price — the overlap of a standard PD array and a Suspension Block creates the highest-precision entry zone within the structure
What is the ICT Suspension Block?
The Suspension Block is an Order Block sub-type introduced in the 2024–2025 ICT teaching period. It forms when a displacement move pauses mid-range — the institutional delivery was strong enough to create a displacement and leave an OB-like sub-structure, but not strong enough to reach the next liquidity pool. The institutional orders placed during that displacement are “suspended” at the pause level, hence the name.
Unlike the standard Order Block (which forms in the candle immediately before a displacement) and the Propulsion Block (which forms inside a delivery candle mid-move), the Suspension Block forms at the specific price level where a displacement paused — not because the move was absorbed, but because the institutional delivery was incomplete and will resume.
The key concept
A Suspension Block marks an incomplete delivery. The displacement started, moved significantly, but stopped before reaching its intended liquidity target. When price returns to the Suspension Block, it re-engages with the same institutional orders that were placed during the initial displacement — and the delivery resumes toward the original target.
How the Suspension Block Forms
The Suspension Block formation sequence: institutional participants begin delivering price toward a liquidity target (BSL or SSL). The displacement creates strong candles that establish the initial move. Mid-delivery, the institutional execution pauses — perhaps due to session timing, temporary opposing liquidity, or scheduled order algorithm pauses. Price stops and briefly consolidates, forming the Suspension Block zone at the pause level.
Critically, the displacement has not reached either liquidity extreme — it stopped mid-range. The BSL above is not yet cleared. The SSL below is not yet cleared. This incomplete delivery is the defining characteristic: a Suspension Block always exists between two liquidity pools that have not yet been reached.
On the chart, the Suspension Block appears as the zone occupied by the final candle before the pause — the candle whose close marks the level where the displacement momentum exhausted temporarily. This candle’s open-to-close range (or sometimes its open-to-wick range) defines the Suspension Block boundaries.
Suspension Block vs Standard Order Block
The Suspension Block and Standard Order Block share institutional DNA — both represent zones where institutional orders were placed — but they form at different points in the price delivery sequence.
The Standard Order Block forms in the candle immediately before a displacement begins. It is the last opposing candle — the last down-close before a bullish move, or the last up-close before a bearish move. The standard OB sits at the origin of the move, before the displacement.
The Suspension Block forms inside an already-moving displacement, at the point where the move paused. It is not at the origin of the move — it is at the pause point, mid-delivery. This means it is at a higher price level than the standard OB (for a bullish delivery), closer to the eventual target.
This positional difference has a practical implication: the Suspension Block re-entry is deeper into the move than the standard OB re-entry. It provides a closer-to-target entry point, but with a tighter stop (the SB bottom for a bullish entry, just below the pause level) rather than the wider stop below the standard OB’s full range.
The Suspension Block Re-Entry Trade
The Suspension Block’s primary use is as a re-entry zone when price retraces back to the pause level after the initial displacement. The trade structure:
Step 1: Identify the initial displacement that created the Suspension Block. Note that the displacement did not reach either the BSL or SSL target. Mark the pause zone (the Suspension Block boundaries).
Step 2: When price retraces back to the SB zone, this is the re-entry opportunity. Entry is at the top of the SB zone (for a bullish re-entry — price entering the SB from above). Stop is placed just below the SB bottom. Target: the original DOL that the initial displacement was heading toward but did not reach.
Step 3: Confirm the re-entry with kill zone timing. A Suspension Block re-entry at 9:30 AM or during the London kill zone has significantly higher probability than the same re-entry during mid-day quiet hours.
The logic: when price returns to the Suspension Block, it is re-testing the level where institutional orders were suspended. Those same institutional orders — which were placed to deliver price toward the original liquidity target — re-engage when price returns, driving the continuation delivery.
Suspension Block Confluence with Standard PD Arrays
Like the Hidden OB and Propulsion Block, the Suspension Block is most powerful when it aligns with a pre-existing standard PD array at the same price level. When a Suspension Block sits within an open Fair Value Gap or overlaps with a standard Order Block, the two layers of institutional interest create a higher-conviction entry zone than either alone.
The alignment is particularly significant when: the SB sits within the FVG of the initial displacement (the same move that created the FVG also created the SB — dual institutional evidence at the same level); the SB pause level coincides with a PDH or PDL (previous session extreme acting as a reference level at the same price as the SB); or the SB sits at the 50% retracement of the initial displacement move — the equilibrium level where institutional re-engagement is most likely.
When none of these alignments exist — the SB is a standalone level without additional PD array confluence — it carries lower standalone probability and should be weighted accordingly. A pure SB re-entry without any additional confluence is valid but lower-tier compared to an SB that also sits inside an FVG.
Suspension Block Timing: When They Form and When to Trade Them
Suspension blocks tend to form during specific market conditions: trending sessions where price is delivering strongly in one direction and the periodic pauses (the consolidation candles that form the OB before the next leg) occur with minimal overlap between the body of the pause candle and the bodies of the surrounding candles. This body non-overlap is the visual signature of a suspension block — the pausing candle is “suspended” between the preceding and following displacement candles without contacting their bodies.
The best suspension blocks form during kill zone delivery phases — specifically during the first 90 minutes of the New York session when institutional order flow is at its highest. A suspension block that forms at 9:45 AM during the initial New York delivery is a higher-quality setup than one that forms at 11:30 AM during the lower-volume midday period. The kill zone backing confirms that institutional intent created the suspension point, not just a temporary pause in retail momentum.
In terms of timeframe, suspension blocks are most clearly identified on the 5-minute and 15-minute charts. On the 1-minute chart, the price action during the “suspension” pause is often too granular and noisy to identify the clean body gap that defines the suspension block. On the 1-hour chart, suspension blocks are visible but less frequent. The 5M and 15M charts provide the right balance between detail and clarity for this specific pattern.
Suspension Block vs Propulsion Block: Choosing the Right Re-Entry
Both suspension blocks and propulsion blocks are OBs used for trend re-entry, but they form from different price dynamics and have different entry characteristics. A propulsion block is identified by its role in triggering a second displacement leg — it is the OB that “powered” the move. A suspension block is identified by its visual structure — the gap between the OB body and the surrounding candle bodies, showing institutional interest at a specific pause level.
When both a suspension block and a propulsion block sit at the same price level (which occasionally occurs when the propulsion OB also has the visual suspension characteristic), the confluence is extremely strong — you have both a structural argument (the OB launched a second leg) and a visual argument (the price action shows the clean body gap of a suspension block) supporting the same level.
When choosing between them at different price levels: prefer the suspension block for continuation re-entries during a clean trend where you expect price to bounce from the next available OB with minimal retracement. Prefer the propulsion block for re-entries after a deeper retracement where you need the stronger structural backing of the “second-leg launch” evidence to justify the entry. The suspension block is the shorter-retracement entry; the propulsion block is the deeper-retracement entry.
Watch: ICT Suspension Block: The Order Block Hanging Between Two Liquidity Pools
Original ICT teaching on this concept from the Inner Circle Trader YouTube channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Suspension Block different from the Propulsion Block?+
Both form inside a delivery move, but at different points. The Propulsion Block forms inside a delivery candle — it is the sub-candle zone mid-way through a single large candle. The Suspension Block forms where an entire displacement sequence paused — not inside a single candle but at the end of a series of strong candles that stopped before reaching the liquidity target. Propulsion = inside a single candle; Suspension = at the end of a delivery sequence.
Does the Suspension Block appear on all timeframes?+
Yes, but the most meaningful Suspension Blocks appear on the 15M to 4H charts — where the displacement sequences and their pauses are clearly visible. On 1M or 5M charts, too many minor pauses create noise and dilute the significance of the SB concept.
What if the initial displacement that created the SB eventually reaches its liquidity target?+
If the initial delivery continues from the SB zone and reaches the BSL or SSL target without retracing to the SB, the trade opportunity was missed. The SB remains a valid level for future reference (as a potential support or resistance zone) but the specific re-entry opportunity for the original delivery thesis has passed.
Can I use the Suspension Block as a first entry rather than a re-entry?+
Technically yes, but the standard application is as a re-entry. As a first entry, the SB is used when the initial displacement creates an SB zone and you wait for price to retrace to the SB for the highest-precision entry into the ongoing delivery. Entering before the retrace (during the initial displacement) is a standard OB or FVG entry, not a Suspension Block entry.
Is the Suspension Block an official ICT concept?+
The Suspension Block terminology has appeared in the 2024–2025 ICT teaching community as part of the advanced OB variant concepts. As with the Enigma FVG and Reaper IFVG, the exact definition may vary across different educators. The core idea — an OB-like zone forming at a mid-delivery pause level between two unswept liquidity pools — is the consistent element across all versions of this concept.
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