# Acceleration Bands

Acceleration Bands is an indicator on [Vela](https://vela.luxalgo.com/chart), our next-generation charting platform, written in Pine Script®.

Plots Price Headley's acceleration bands in their published form: 20-period averages of range-adjusted highs and lows around a simple midline, scaled by a band factor of 4. Optional markers show the classic entry after two consecutive closes beyond a band and the exit on the close back inside, with a gradient fill that intensifies during the acceleration phase.

- Indicator in the LuxAlgo Library, by LuxAlgo, published Apr 4, 2026.
- Access: free.
- Concepts: [Acceleration Bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/concept/acceleration-bands/) (primary)
- Open on Vela: https://vela.luxalgo.com/chart?pineScriptCodeId=bqorptrbzpzkl8rrttxtac1q
- Page: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/acceleration-bands/

**Acceleration Bands** implements the published form of [acceleration bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/concept/acceleration-bands/) exactly: 20-period simple averages of range-adjusted highs and lows around an SMA midline, with each bar's normalized range scaled by a factor of 4 before averaging. A wide-ranging bar levers the bands apart at once, so expansion registers without a standard-deviation window.

On top of the bands, the build tracks the classic breakout rule as a state: two consecutive closes beyond a band start an acceleration phase, and the first close back inside ends it. That state drives optional entry and exit markers, an intensified gradient on the broken side, and matching alerts.

## How to Trade the Acceleration Bands?

- **Bullish Breakout**: a triangle on the second consecutive close above the Upper Band, the classic acceleration entry.
- **Bearish Breakout**: the same rule below the Lower Band.
- **Breakout Exit**: a cross on the first close back inside the broken band, the standard exit.
- **Midline crosses**: alert-only events for earlier, noisier directional context.

Closes beyond these bands are read as strength worth joining rather than stretch worth fading, the opposite orientation of most band systems, and the reason the tool sits on the momentum side of the [band and volatility toolkit](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/family/volatility/).

## Acceleration Bands Settings

- **Length** (default 20): lookback for all three simple moving averages; shorter windows track price more nervously.
- **Band Factor** (default 4): scaling applied to each bar's normalized range; in practice it governs how often closes land beyond a band.
- **Show Breakout Markers** (default off): draws the entry triangles and exit crosses; the alerts are available regardless.
- Style toggles cover the gradient fill and the acceleration-phase highlight, both on by default.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do Acceleration Bands differ from Bollinger Bands?

[Bollinger Bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-bands/) scale with a standard deviation of closes, so outer-band touches are often read as extended; acceleration bands scale with each bar's own range and were designed to be traded in the breakout direction. Similar silhouette, opposite intent.

### Should I raise or lower the Band Factor?

The published form uses 4, and there is rarely a structural reason to move it: lower values produce more outside closes and more phases, higher values fewer and later ones. Tune Length to your swing size first.

### Do the alerts require the markers to be on?

No. Show Breakout Markers only controls the drawings; the breakout, exit and midline alert conditions are evaluated regardless, so a clean chart can still notify you at both phase boundaries.

## Related indicators

- [Nadaraya-Watson Envelope](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/nadaraya-watson-envelope/) (Envelope): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/nadaraya-watson-envelope.md
- [TTM Squeeze](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/ttm-squeeze/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/ttm-squeeze.md
- [Fibonacci Bollinger Bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/fibonacci-bollinger-bands/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/fibonacci-bollinger-bands.md
- [Double Bollinger Zones](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/double-bollinger-zones/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/double-bollinger-zones.md
- [Proximal Range Filter](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/proximal-range-filter/) (Envelope): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/proximal-range-filter.md
- [Bollinger Squeeze](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-squeeze/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-squeeze.md
- [Bollinger Bands Breakout Oscillator](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-bands-breakout-oscillator/) (Bollinger Bands): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-bands-breakout-oscillator.md
- [Donchian MA Bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/donchian-ma-bands/) (Donchian Channels): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/donchian-ma-bands.md

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Source: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/acceleration-bands/ (LuxAlgo Library). Free to use with attribution: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/license/