A reclaim is when price falls below a key level, then pushes back above it — reclaiming it as support. It signals that a breakdown failed, and it's a common, powerful setup because of what it does to the traders who were positioned wrong.
What a reclaim looks like
Picture an important support level. Price breaks below it — a breakdown — and breakout sellers pile in short, expecting more downside. Then price reverses and pushes back above the level: the breakdown failed, and the level is “reclaimed.” That reclaim is a shift in character — the sellers who shorted the break are now offside and may be forced to cover, which can fuel a sharp move back up. The same works in reverse for a reclaimed resistance from above.
Why traders watch for it
A reclaim is powerful because it traps traders. The break drew in one side; the reclaim proves them wrong and turns their stops into fuel for the opposite move. It's often a higher-conviction signal than a fresh breakout, because it's confirmed by a failure — the market tested lower, rejected it, and reclaimed the level. Reclaims of major levels like the opening range, VWAP, or a gamma flip are watched closely.
A reclaim is a level lost and won back — and the traders who bet on the loss become the fuel for the recovery. Failed breaks trap; traps move fast.
The quick takeaway
A reclaim is price recovering back above a level it had broken below (or vice versa) — a failed breakdown that traps the wrong-way traders and often sparks a sharp reversal. It's a core scalping setup. NoVo maps the key levels where reclaims matter most, so you can see a reclaim of real structure as it happens.