TopOneFutures Trading Hours and Session Schedule

In prop trading, most accounts don’t fail because of bad strategy. They fail because of bad timing.
At TopOneFutures, trading hours are not a soft guideline or a suggestion — they are a hard operating framework that defines when risk is allowed and when it is not. Understanding this framework is just as important as knowing drawdown rules or contract limits.

This article explains exactly how trading hours work at TopOneFutures, how daily sessions are structured, what happens at the automatic close-out time, how weekends are handled, and how professional traders adapt their routines to these rules instead of fighting them.

If you trade futures here, this schedule governs every decision you make.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TopOneFutures and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TopOneFutures website or their help center.

Trading Sessions at Top One Futures — The Core Structure

TopOneFutures operates on a defined daily trading session with mandatory flat periods built in.

There are three rules that override everything else:

• trading is only allowed during specific hours
• all positions must be closed before the daily cutoff
• no overnight or weekend exposure is permitted

These rules apply universally:

• all account types
• all instruments, including crypto futures
• all strategies, regardless of performance

There are no exceptions for swing trades, “almost closed” positions, or high-confidence setups.

When Can You Trade Futures at TopOneFutures?

Trading is allowed Monday through Friday, within a clearly defined window.

You may place and manage trades between:

6:00 PM EST and 4:10 PM EST the following day

This long session includes:

• the evening Globex open
• the Asian session
• the European session
• the full U.S. cash session

However, this window is not continuous.

The Daily Trading Pause (5:00–6:00 PM EST)

Every trading day includes a mandatory one-hour pause.

From 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST, trading is paused across the platform.

During this time:

• no new positions can be opened
• no existing positions can be managed
• order execution is disabled

At 6:00 PM EST, the next trading session opens and execution resumes.

This pause exists every day, regardless of volatility, news events, or market conditions.

How Trading Days Are Defined (This Confuses Many Traders)

At TopOneFutures, trading days are defined by session open, not calendar date.

That means a session technically starts the evening before.

Here’s how the trading week actually works:

• Monday session
  Opens Sunday at 6:00 PM EST
  Closes Monday at 4:10 PM EST
• Tuesday session
  Opens Monday at 6:00 PM EST
  Closes Tuesday at 4:10 PM EST
• Wednesday session
  Opens Tuesday at 6:00 PM EST
  Closes Wednesday at 4:10 PM EST
• Thursday session
  Opens Wednesday at 6:00 PM EST
  Closes Thursday at 4:10 PM EST
• Friday session (final session of the week)
  Opens Thursday at 6:00 PM EST
  Closes Friday at 4:00 PM EST

Markets then remain closed until Sunday at 6:00 PM EST, when the new week begins.

This structure matters for:

• journaling
• discipline tracking
• understanding session-based performance

Weekend Trading: Not Allowed Under Any Circumstances

TopOneFutures does not allow weekend trading.

From Friday afternoon until Sunday evening:

• no positions may remain open
• no trades may be placed
• no exposure may be carried

Any attempt to hold risk into the weekend will be neutralized by forced liquidation or result in rule violations.

This rule eliminates:

• weekend gap risk
• geopolitical surprise exposure
• illiquid reopen conditions

For a prop firm managing aggregated risk, weekend exposure is simply unacceptable.

The Most Important Rule: Automatic Close-Out at 4:10 PM EST

Every trading day ends the same way.

At 4:10 PM EST, all open positions are automatically closed by the system.

This applies to:

• all instruments
• all account types
• all market conditions

If you do not manually flatten your positions before 4:10 PM EST, the platform will do it for you.

There is:

• no grace period
• no warning prompt
• no exception for “just one more minute”

The cutoff is absolute.

What Happens During Forced Liquidation?

When the automatic close-out triggers:

• all open positions are force-liquidated
• exits are filled at available market prices
• slippage may occur
• partial fills are possible in fast markets

This is not a support action and not a discretionary decision.
It is a system-level risk control.

Any losses caused by forced liquidation are fully the trader’s responsibility.

Can You Trade After 4:10 PM EST?

No.

From 4:10 PM to 6:00 PM EST, trading is paused.

During this window:

• all positions must already be flat
• no new trades are allowed
• no orders can be adjusted
• the system prepares for the next session

Trading resumes exactly at 6:00 PM EST when the next session opens.

There is no early access and no flexibility around this timing.

Why TopOneFutures Forces Daily Flat Positions

This rule exists to eliminate overnight risk.

Holding positions overnight introduces:

• unpredictable news risk
• thin liquidity
• sudden price gaps
• uncontrollable slippage

For individual traders, this can be survivable.
For a prop firm managing thousands of accounts, it is not.

By enforcing daily flat positions, TopOneFutures:

• caps worst-case loss scenarios
• standardizes risk exposure
• simplifies drawdown enforcement
• aligns all traders with intraday risk models

This is not about restricting traders — it’s about protecting the ecosystem.

How Trading Hours Affect Different Trading Styles

The session structure naturally favors certain approaches.

Intraday Traders

This environment is ideal.
Clear open, clear close, defined risk window.

Most consistently profitable TopOneFutures traders operate strictly intraday.

Scalpers

Scalping works well, provided you:

• respect session boundaries
• avoid late-session entries
• flatten positions early

Scalping close to 4:10 PM EST is one of the most common self-inflicted errors.

Swing Traders

Swing trading is not compatible with these rules.

You cannot:

• hold overnight
• manage multi-day trends
• “let winners run” past the close

If your strategy requires overnight exposure, this is the wrong environment.

Crypto Futures Follow the Same Schedule

Even though crypto markets trade 24/7 elsewhere, TopOneFutures applies the same trading hours.

Crypto futures:

• must be closed by 4:10 PM EST
• cannot be held overnight
• cannot be traded on weekends

Do not assume crypto instruments are an exception. They are treated exactly like other futures.

Common Trading Hour Mistakes That Cost Accounts

Most issues around trading hours come from routine errors, not ignorance.

• opening trades too close to the cutoff
• forgetting the time during high volatility
• assuming positions will carry into the next session
• confusing session days with calendar days

The system does not care why the mistake happened.

How Professional Traders Handle the Cutoff

Experienced traders don’t push the deadline.

They:

• define a hard “no new trades” time well before 4:10 PM
• manually close all positions with margin to spare
• avoid emotional decisions late in the session
• treat time as a risk variable, not an afterthought

Many stop opening new trades 30–45 minutes before the cutoff to eliminate risk entirely.

Trading Hours and Other Risk Rules Are Connected

The session schedule does not exist in isolation.

It interacts directly with:

• max contract limits
• daily loss limits
• trailing drawdown rules

A forced liquidation at a bad price can:

• trigger a drawdown violation
• breach an otherwise healthy account
• erase a profitable day

Time management is risk management.

What Happens If You Violate Trading Hour Rules?

Violations related to trading hours typically result in:

• forced liquidation losses
• drawdown breaches
• account closure

There are no appeals for system-enforced rules.

Final Takeaway

TopOneFutures trading hours are not restrictive — they are intentional.

They:

• enforce discipline
• eliminate overnight uncertainty
• standardize trader behavior
• protect both traders and the firm

If you:

• respect the session structure
• flatten positions early
• plan your day around the cutoff
• treat time as part of risk

…these rules will never hurt you.

Ignore the clock because “the setup looks good,” and the system will remind you who controls the session.

In prop trading, profit comes from execution.
Survival comes from respecting the schedule.

Your Next Steps

‍👉 Start Trading at TopOneFutures Today

‍👉 Read My Full TopOneFutures Review

‍👉 Start earning besides Trading with TopOneFutures Affiliate Program

‍