ICT Decoded · Propulsion Blocks

What Is a Propulsion Block in ICT Trading?

By Steve H — reads every firm’s official rulebook, checks prices and codes daily, and maintains the Enigma Score · Methodology · Editorial policy · Last updated October 31, 2026

ICT concepts were created and are taught by Michael J. Huddleston, The Inner Circle Trader (X · YouTube). This lesson is FundedEnigma’s own summary, not affiliated with or endorsed by ICT.

In short: An ICT propulsion block is an order block built on top of an order block: price returns into a fresh order block, a candle with the same close dips in no deeper than its middle and closes back out, and a later close beyond that candle's open validates it. A good one holds its own 50%.

What Is a Propulsion Block? The ICT Order Block Built on an Order Block · 6:04 · published October 31, 2026 · part of the ICT Concepts Decoded playlist

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The full video is embedded above this article: What Is a Propulsion Block? The ICT Order Block Built on an Order Block. This page is the written version, with every chart walked through step by step. Jump to any part of the video:

0:00 Intro
0:42 What a propulsion block is
1:28 How to frame one
1:53 Checks and life
2:20 Example 1
3:52 Example 2
5:15 Recap

Key facts: propulsion blocks at a glance

Term	What it is	How it is used
Parent	A fresh order block: stops taken, structure shifted, the last opposite-close candle(s) before the move	The block the propulsion block forms on
Bullish propulsion block	A down-close candle that dips into a bullish order block, no deeper than its 50%, closes back above it, then a later candle closes above its open	A zone price may come back down into
Bearish propulsion block	An up-close candle that pushes into a bearish order block, no higher than its 50%, closes back below it, then a later candle closes below its open	A zone price may come back up into
Framing	Bodies: from the open to the close; consecutive same-close candles blend into one	The block's two edges
Open	The opening price of the candle(s)	The sensitive edge
Mean threshold	The 50% of the bodies	A good one holds it on the return
Retired	A body close beyond its mean threshold	Stricter than an order block

Last verified 2026-10-31. All charts below are real historical CME NQ futures data, shown in New York time.

NQ 5-minute chart, December 23, 2025: the previous day low taken at 08:39, the 09:05 down-close candle framed as a bullish order block from 25,616.25 to 25,631.75, the 10:10 down-close candle that dips into it and holds, and the 10:15 close above its open that makes the 10:10 body a propulsion block — NQ 5M, Dec 23, 2025. A small block on top of the order block.

Here is the idea on one chart. On December 23, 2025, NQ took the previous day low, broke higher and left a bullish order block. At 10:10 a down-close candle dipped into that block, held above its middle and closed back above it. The 10:15 candle closed above the 10:10 open, and the 10:10 body became a propulsion block. Price did not come back to it that session.

How does a propulsion block work?

A propulsion block needs a parent: a fresh order block. The propulsion block forms when price comes back into that parent and a new, smaller block appears on top of it.

Diagram of a bullish propulsion block: sell stops taken, the parent order block, a down-close candle that dips into the parent above its 50% and closes back above it, then a candle that closes above its open — An order block built on top of an order block.

The parent. Stops are taken, structure shifts, and the last opposite-close candle before the move is the order block.
The return. In a bullish block, a down-close candle dips in, no deeper than the parent's middle, and its body closes back above the parent.
The validation. A later candle closes above that candle's open, the same test that validates an order block. That candle's body is the propulsion block.

Bullish vs bearish propulsion block

The bearish version is the mirror: an up-close candle pushes into a bearish order block, stays below its middle, closes back under it, and then a candle closes below its open.

Diagram of a bearish propulsion block: the up-close candle pushes into a bearish parent order block below its 50%, closes back under it, and a later candle closes below its open — The mirror: a bearish propulsion block.

Propulsion block vs order block: what is the difference?

An order block forms after stops are taken and structure shifts; a propulsion block forms later, on the return into that order block. It forms on the return, just above a bullish parent or just below a bearish one, it is usually tighter than the parent, and its life is stricter: it should hold its own 50%, not just its far side.

How do you mark a propulsion block?

Frame it with bodies, from the open to the close of the candle. Mark its open as the sensitive edge and its 50% as the mean threshold.

Diagram of a propulsion block framed by its body just above the parent order block, with the wick as a thin reference line, the open as a solid line and the 50% mean threshold dashed — Bodies frame it; the open and the 50% are the two lines to watch.

Keep the wicks for reference only. The block's edges are the bodies.
Blend a run. Consecutive same-close candles that end at the dip are one block, framed from the highest body edge to the lowest.
The open is the sensitive edge. The 50% of the bodies is the mean threshold.

How do you identify a propulsion block?

Three checks: a real order block first, a same-close candle that dips into it no deeper than its middle and closes back out, and a close beyond that candle's open within the next two candles.

A real parent. Stops taken and a shift in structure, as in the order block lesson. See liquidity.
The dip. The candle's wick reaches into the parent but not past the parent's 50%, and its body closes back outside the parent.
The close beyond its open. Within the next two candles. Without it there is no propulsion block. The block's life starts at that close: the validating candle's own wick does not count against it.

When is a propulsion block invalid?

When a candle body closes beyond its mean threshold: below the 50% of a bullish propulsion block, or above the 50% of a bearish one. That is stricter than an order block, which is retired only at its far side.

Diagram of a propulsion block's life: price returns, tests the block and holds above its 50% — The return holds the 50%.

Diagram of a failed propulsion block: a candle body closes below its 50% — A body close beyond the 50%: retired.

What do propulsion blocks look like on real charts?

A bullish propulsion block after a previous day low was taken, which price did not come back to that session, and a bearish one whose wick poked past its middle without a body close beyond it, both on the 5-minute chart.

Example 1: a bullish propulsion block, NQ 5-minute, December 23, 2025

NQ 5-minute chart, December 23, 2025: the previous day low at 25,628.00 taken at 08:39, down to 25,608.25, the 09:30 break above the 08:30 high, the 09:05 parent order block from 25,616.25 to 25,631.75, the 10:03 and 10:12 dips into it, the 10:15 close at 25,673.25 after its wick to 25,647.75, the propulsion block from 25,649.00 to 25,657.50, the 10:29 low at 25,659.50 and the 15:58 high at 25,820.50 — NQ 5M, Dec 23, 2025. Never revisited that session.

At 08:39 price trades below the previous day low at 25,628.00, down to 25,608.25. The sell stops are taken.
At 09:30 price breaks above the 08:30 high of 25,679.00 in one strong candle. The 09:05 down-close candle is the parent order block, from 25,616.25 to 25,631.75, with its 50% at 25,624.00.
At 10:03 price drops into the top of the parent, to 25,628.25, and holds above its middle. At 10:10 a down-close candle dips in again, to 25,630.25 at 10:12, and closes back above the parent at 25,649.00.
The 10:15 candle closes at 25,673.25, above the 10:10 open of 25,657.50. The 10:10 body, from 25,649.00 to 25,657.50, is now a propulsion block, with its 50% at 25,653.25.
The 10:15 candle itself wicks to 25,647.75, just under the block, before it closes, so the block's life starts at that close. After it, the closest price comes back that session is 25,659.50 at 10:29, just above the block. At 15:58 it reaches 25,820.50.

Example 2: a bearish propulsion block, NQ 5-minute, November 14, 2025

NQ 5-minute chart, November 14, 2025: the Asia high at 25,159.75 taken at 10:46, the 12:11 top at 25,293.25, the 12:47 break below the 12:00 swing low at 25,221.75, the 12:35 up-close candle framed as a bearish parent order block from 25,243.50 to 25,277.75, the 15:02 push into it to 25,251.25, the 15:05 close at 25,199.75, the propulsion block from 25,204.00 to 25,234.00, the 15:10 wick to 25,220.25 and the 15:50 low at 25,071.25 — NQ 5M, Nov 14, 2025. A wick past the middle, no close beyond it.

Price rallies all morning, takes the Asia high at 25,159.75 at 10:46 and tops at 25,293.25 at 12:11.
At 12:47 price trades below the 12:00 swing low at 25,221.75. The 12:35 up-close candle is the parent order block, from 25,243.50 to 25,277.75, with its 50% at 25,260.625.
From 14:45 a run of up-close candles climbs back. At 15:02 the last one pushes into the parent, to 25,251.25, below its middle, and the 15:00 candle closes back under the block at 25,234.00.
At 15:05 a candle closes at 25,199.75, below the 25,204.00 open of that run. Their bodies, from 25,204.00 to 25,234.00, are a bearish propulsion block, with its 50% at 25,219.00.
At 15:10 price pokes up to 25,220.25, just past the block's middle. That is a warning, but no body closes above the middle, and at 15:50 price reaches 25,071.25.

How do you use propulsion blocks in your own charting?

Treat a propulsion block as a refinement of the order block it sits on: a smaller zone just beyond the parent, on the side price is moving, judged by whether it holds its own middle.

Name the parent first. Say which order block it formed on, its timeframe and its edges.
Say both edges and the 50%. The open is the sensitive edge.
Weigh the parent. A propulsion block on an order block that took a session level counts for more than one on a minor block.
Watch the closes. A body close beyond its 50% ends it.

More concepts in the series are on the ICT Concepts Decoded hub. If you trade futures with a prop firm, you can look up a firm's rules on the challenges page or set two firms side by side on the compare page.

Frequently asked questions

Does a propulsion block need an order block first?

Yes. It only forms on the return into a fresh order block. Without a parent there is no propulsion block.

How deep can the candle go into the order block?

No deeper than the parent's 50%, its mean threshold. A dip past the middle means the parent itself is already being worked through.

Do you mark a propulsion block with bodies or wicks?

On this page, with bodies: from the open to the close of the candle or candles. The wicks stay on the chart for reference only.

What if several candles dip into the order block?

Consecutive same-close candles that end at the dip blend into one block, framed from the highest body edge to the lowest.

Which timeframe should I use for propulsion blocks?

The timeframe you are reading. The examples here use 5-minute blocks; say the timeframe whenever you name one.

How do you trade a propulsion block?

This page does not give trade signals. It shows how to recognise a propulsion block, frame it and follow its life by the closes.

Sources

Concept: propulsion blocks, order blocks and the mean threshold as taught by ICT (The Inner Circle Trader, Michael J. Huddleston), who originated these terms. The explanation, examples and charts on this page are our own.
Data: every chart is real historical CME Nasdaq-100 E-mini (NQ) futures data, shown in New York time.
Video: What Is a Propulsion Block? The ICT Order Block Built on an Order Block, FundedEnigma.

Last verified: 2026-10-31. Written by Steve H.

Disclaimer: This page is for education only and is not financial advice. Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss. Past price behaviour does not guarantee future results.

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