The five-point verification routine the VSA practitioner runs before taking any trade: (1) Background — is there identifiable accumulation or distribution to the left on the chart? (2) Primary signal — is a first-order signal (e.g., shake-out, buying climax, stopping volume) present? (3) Confirming signal — does a second signal in the same direction support the thesis? (4) Trigger signal — is there a specific entry bar (e.g., a low-volume test or no-demand bar) to act on? (5) Trend alignment — is the higher-timeframe context consistent with the proposed trade direction? If any item fails, the trade is not taken.