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The Trading Pit News Trading Policy: Prime vs. Classic Rules Breakdown

Written by Paul

Published on

December 16, 2025

You're about to trade NFP, FOMC, or CPI on your Trading Pit account, and you need to know: will this breach violate their news trading policy?

Here's what matters: CFD accounts have size-based news trading restrictions. If you're trading a $50K or smaller CFD account, you can trade through high-impact news without restrictions. If you're on a $100K or $200K CFD account, you cannot open trades or trigger pending orders within 2 minutes before or after major news releases—during both Challenge and Funded phases. Futures accounts (Prime and Classic) follow different rules that aren't restricted by news events.

This article breaks down the exact 2-minute window, what counts as a violation, which account sizes are affected, and how to trade news legally without risking your account. As of December 2025, these are The Trading Pit's current news trading rules.

Key Takeaways: Your Instant News Trading Answer

CFD accounts $50K and below: News trading fully allowed — trade FOMC, NFP, CPI without restrictions using market or pending orders.
CFD accounts $100K and $200K: News trading prohibited — cannot open trades or trigger pending orders within 2 minutes before/after high-impact news during Challenge or Funded phases.
The 2-minute restriction window — starts 2 minutes before scheduled news release, ends 2 minutes after (4-minute total blackout).
You CAN close existing positions during news — if you opened before the window, you can exit manually, via stop loss, or take profit during the 2-minute period.
Pending orders are risky — if your limit/stop order triggers during the 2-minute window on a restricted account, that's a violation even if you placed it hours earlier.
Futures accounts (Prime/Classic): No news trading restrictions — trade NQ, ES, CL through any news event without policy violations.

In-Depth: The Trading Pit's News Trading Rules by Account Type

CFD Accounts: Size-Based Restriction System

The Trading Pit uses a tiered approach for CFD accounts. Your account size determines whether you can trade major economic releases.

Unrestricted accounts (news trading allowed):

$10,000 CFD
$25,000 CFD
$50,000 CFD

What you can do: Open and close trades during any news event (NFP, FOMC, CPI, PMI, GDP, Central Bank announcements) using market orders or pending orders without restriction.

Restricted accounts (news trading prohibited):

$100,000 CFD
$200,000 CFD

What you cannot do: Open new trades or have pending orders triggered within the 2-minute window before and after high-impact news releases. This applies during both the Challenge phase and Funded (Earning) phase.

Why the size-based split?

Risk management. Larger accounts = larger position sizes = more volatility exposure during news. The Trading Pit limits news trading on $100K+ CFD accounts to protect their capital from extreme slippage and gap risk during major releases.

The 2-Minute Window: Exact Timing Breakdown

High-impact news example: US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)

Scheduled release: 8:30 AM ET

Restriction timeline for $100K/$200K CFD accounts:

8:28:00 AM — Blackout window begins (2 minutes before)
8:28:00 - 8:32:00 AM — Cannot open trades or trigger pending orders (4-minute total window)
8:32:01 AM — Restriction ends, normal trading resumes

What counts as a violation:

Opening a market order at 8:29 AM = violation
Placing a pending order at 8:27 AM that triggers at 8:30 AM = violation
Having a limit order sitting from yesterday that fills at 8:31 AM = violation

What does NOT count as a violation:

Closing an existing position you opened at 8:00 AM during the 8:28-8:32 window = allowed
Stop loss triggered at 8:30 AM on a position opened at 7:00 AM = allowed
Take profit hit at 8:31 AM on a swing trade from yesterday = allowed

Critical detail: The restriction applies to opening positions, not closing them. If you're already in a trade before the window, you can manage it however you want during news.

What Counts as "High-Impact News"?

The Trading Pit provides an Economic Calendar on their website with impact level filters (low, medium, high).

High-impact events typically include:

US data: NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls), CPI (Consumer Price Index), FOMC rate decisions, GDP releases, Retail Sales, Unemployment Rate
EU data: ECB rate decisions, EU CPI, German IFO/ZEW surveys
UK data: BOE rate decisions, UK CPI, UK GDP
Other major central banks: BoJ, RBA, BoC policy announcements

How to check: Log into your TTP dashboard, navigate to the Economic Calendar, and filter by "High Impact." These are the events subject to the 2-minute restriction on $100K/$200K CFD accounts.

Medium and low-impact events: No restrictions. You can trade through these freely regardless of account size.

Futures Accounts: No News Trading Restrictions

The Trading Pit's Futures Prime and Futures Classic accounts have no news trading policy restrictions.

What this means:

Trade ES, NQ, YM, RTY, CL, GC, or any futures contract through FOMC, NFP, CPI without restrictions
Open positions 1 second before Powell speaks = allowed
Use pending orders that trigger during NFP = allowed
Scale in/out during high volatility = allowed

Why futures are unrestricted:

Futures markets have centralized exchange pricing (CME, EUREX) with transparent liquidity. CFD markets use broker pricing models that can experience extreme slippage during news. The Trading Pit restricts CFD news trading to manage execution risk, but futures don't have the same slippage concerns.

If you're a news trader: Use a Futures account (Prime or Classic), not a CFD account.

The Critical Comparison: News Trading Rules by Account Size

Account Type	Account Size	News Trading Status	Restriction Details
CFD	$10K, $25K, $50K	✅ Fully Allowed	No restrictions on any news events
CFD	$100K, $200K	❌ Prohibited	2-minute window before/after high-impact news (Challenge + Funded)
Futures Prime	All sizes	✅ Fully Allowed	No restrictions on any news events
Futures Classic	All sizes	✅ Fully Allowed	No restrictions on any news events

Actions Allowed vs. Prohibited During the 2-Minute Window

Action	Allowed?	Notes
Open new market order during window	❌ No	Violation on $100K/$200K CFD accounts
Pending order triggers during window	❌ No	Even if placed hours/days earlier
Close existing position manually	✅ Yes	Opened before window = can close anytime
Stop loss triggered during window	✅ Yes	Position must have been opened before window
Take profit triggered during window	✅ Yes	Position must have been opened before window
Place pending order during window (for after)	⚠️ Risky	Allowed if trigger price is outside window timeframe
Modify existing position during window	✅ Yes	Adjust SL/TP on pre-existing positions = allowed

Why This Matters for Your Trading: Practical Strategy Adjustments

If You're on a $100K or $200K CFD Account

Your news trading options:

Trade before the window — enter positions 5-10 minutes before the news release, manage them during the 2-minute blackout
Wait until after the window — sit out until 8:32 AM (or 2 minutes post-release), then trade the reaction
Use stop losses strategically — place stops before the window so you're protected if news goes against you

What you CANNOT do:

Scalp the initial news spike (8:30:00 AM entry on NFP = violation)
Use breakout pending orders that trigger at 8:30 AM
"Fade" the initial move within the first 2 minutes

The workaround: If you're serious about news trading, switch to a Futures account (Prime or Classic). No restrictions, same firm, better execution for news volatility anyway.

If You're on a $50K or Smaller CFD Account

You have full freedom.

News trading strategies that work:

Straddle pending orders — place buy stop above and sell stop below current price 30 seconds before NFP, let the breakout trigger your entry
Market order at release — enter long/short the instant data drops based on your bias
Scalp the spike — trade the first 60 seconds of volatility for quick 10-20 pip moves

Risk warning: Just because you CAN trade news doesn't mean you should. News trading requires experience with slippage, spread widening, and execution delays. If you're new, avoid news until you're consistently profitable in normal conditions.

If You're on a Futures Account (Prime or Classic)

You're unrestricted. Trade news however you want.

Best practices for futures news trading:

Use limit orders when possible — market orders during FOMC can slip 5-10 ticks on ES
Reduce position size — volatility during news is 3-5x normal; cut your contracts by 50%
Widen your stops — news spikes can hit tight stops before reversing; give trades room
Trade the reaction, not the spike — wait 60 seconds after the release for the initial chaos to settle

Example: Trading FOMC on a Futures Prime $100K account:

1:58 PM: Market is at ES 4850
2:00 PM: Powell announces rate hold (dovish tone)
2:00:15 PM: ES spikes to 4870 in 15 seconds
2:01 PM: You enter long at 4865 after initial spike settles
2:15 PM: Exit at 4880 (+15 points = +$750 per contract)

Result: Perfectly legal. No restrictions. This exact trade would violate policy on a $100K CFD account (can't enter during 1:58-2:02 PM window).

Checking the Economic Calendar Before Every Session

How to avoid accidental violations:

Log into TTP dashboard every morning
Navigate to Economic Calendar
Filter by "High Impact" events
Note the exact time of each release (convert to your timezone if needed)
Set alerts for 5 minutes before each event
Clear any pending orders that might trigger during the window

Pro tip: If you're on a restricted account ($100K/$200K CFD) and you see multiple high-impact events scheduled (e.g., CPI at 8:30 AM, Retail Sales at 10:00 AM), plan your trading around those windows. Don't fight the policy—work with it or switch account types.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What if I place a pending order at 8:00 AM and it triggers at 8:30 AM during NFP—is that a violation?

A: Yes, on a $100K or $200K CFD account, that's a violation. Even though you placed the order 30 minutes earlier, if it executes (triggers) during the 2-minute window, you breach the policy. Cancel all pending orders before the window or move them outside the trigger zone.

Q: Can I close a position during the 2-minute window if it's going against me?

A: Yes. The restriction only applies to opening new positions. If you opened a trade at 8:00 AM and NFP drops at 8:30 AM causing a loss, you can close it manually, via stop loss, or via take profit during the 2:28-2:32 window without penalty.

Q: Does the 2-minute rule apply to medium-impact or low-impact news?

A: No. The restriction only applies to high-impact news events as listed on The Trading Pit's Economic Calendar. Medium and low-impact events have no trading restrictions regardless of account size.

Q: If I'm trading a $50K CFD account and scale up to $100K, do the news trading restrictions suddenly apply?

A: Yes. Once you scale to $100K (or receive a $100K funded account), the 2-minute news trading restriction applies immediately. You'll need to adjust your strategy or switch to a Futures account if news trading is core to your edge.

Q: What happens if I violate the news trading policy?

A: Account termination. The Trading Pit treats news trading violations the same as drawdown breaches or consistency rule violations—your account is closed, and you forfeit any unrealized profits. There's no appeal process for policy violations.

Q: Are there news trading restrictions on Stock Trading accounts?

A: The input data provided only covers CFD and Futures accounts. Contact The Trading Pit support for Stock Trading account news policies, as they may differ.