Unstructured chart review often turns into storytelling. A fixed annotation sequence makes the observer leave evidence that can be checked later.
One: mark the regime
Write rising, falling, range, or unclear. Do this before describing an imagined opportunity. “Unclear” is a valid classification and often the most honest.
Two: cite visible evidence
Name what is on the chart: average slope, price above or below the slow average, distance between averages, and the sequence of highs and lows. Two specific observations are better than a paragraph of conviction.
Three: state invalidation
Describe which visible condition would make the current label no longer fit. This is not a forecast or an order instruction. It is a boundary for your classification.
Four: record uncertainty
Give one competing reading. Perhaps the slow average rises while the faster pair compresses. Recording tension prevents a neat label from hiding mixed evidence.
Save the chart before revealing later bars. In review, assess the clarity and consistency of your marks—not whether hindsight made the label look clever.