Can Scalpers Trade with TradeDay? Scalping Policy Guide

Written by Paul

Published on

January 12, 2026

You're a scalper. You take 10-30 trades per day, holding positions for 2-10 minutes, targeting 5-15 ticks per trade. Your entire strategy is built on quick entries and exits. Now you're looking at TradeDay and wondering: will their rules allow my scalping style, or will I get flagged and banned for "suspicious trading patterns"?

The short answer: Yes, scalpers can trade with TradeDay. Scalping is explicitly allowed and there's no minimum hold time requirement on positions. You can enter and exit in 30 seconds if your strategy calls for it. But there are nuances: the 30% consistency rule during evaluation can hurt scalpers who occasionally hit one massive winner, position limits restrict how many contracts you can trade, and TradeDay's simulation environment might have slightly different execution quality than live markets.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay 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 TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

I'm not a pure scalper, but I've taken 50+ scalp trades on TradeDay when my usual swing setups weren't present. Held positions for 3-8 minutes, targeting 8-12 ticks on ES. Never had issues with account flags or rule violations. The key is understanding which TradeDay rules impact scalping strategies specifically and how to structure your approach to pass evaluation while maintaining your edge.

This is your complete guide to scalping on TradeDay: what's allowed, what's restricted, how the consistency rule affects scalpers, which drawdown type works best for scalping, platform considerations, and strategies to pass evaluation as a scalper.

TradeDay's Official Scalping Policy

Let's start with what TradeDay explicitly allows and restricts.

Scalping Is Allowed

TradeDay's stance: There is no prohibition against scalping. You can enter and exit positions as quickly as your strategy requires.

No minimum hold time: Unlike some prop firms that require 1-2 minute minimum holds, TradeDay has no such rule. A 30-second scalp is legal.

No maximum trade frequency: You can take 50 trades in a day if your strategy calls for it. There's no rule limiting trades per day or per hour.

What Counts as a "Trading Day"

For the 5-day minimum requirement during evaluation, a day counts if:

You open at least one position
Position is held for 2-5 minutes minimum (this is the only time requirement)
Position can be profitable or losing

Important for scalpers: If you take 20 scalps in one day, but each is only held 45 seconds, those might not all count as valid "trading days" for the minimum day requirement. At least a few of your trades per day should be held 2-5+ minutes.

Workaround: Open your first position of the day, let it run 5+ minutes even if you'd normally exit sooner. This ensures the day counts. Then scalp normally for the rest of the session.

No "Tick Scalping" or "Order Book Manipulation" Allowed

What's prohibited:

Placing orders to manipulate sim order book (spoofing, layering)
Exploiting sim environment delays or fills
Gaming the system by taking advantage of simulation-specific behavior

What this means for legitimate scalpers: Nothing. If you're scalping based on actual market movement, price action, and normal technical setups, you're fine. The prohibition is against manipulating the simulation itself, not against fast trading.

How the 30% Consistency Rule Affects Scalpers

This is the biggest challenge for scalpers during evaluation.

The Consistency Rule Recap

What it is: No single day can represent more than 30% of your total profit during evaluation.

Formula: Biggest Day ÷ Total Profit = Percentage (must be ≤30%)

Example violation:

Day 1: +$1,800 (your best day)
Days 2-7: +$700 total
Total profit: $2,500
Consistency: $1,800 ÷ $2,500 = 72% (failed)

For complete consistency details, see the consistency rule guide.

Why Scalpers Struggle with Consistency

The scalper's dilemma: Scalping strategies often produce:

Many small winners ($100-300)
Occasional big winners ($800-1,500) when you catch a runner

The problem: That one $1,500 winner can blow your consistency if your other days only total $1,500-2,000.

Example scenario:

You scalp ES for 5-8 ticks typically, making $200-400 per day
Day 3: You catch a 40-tick runner ($2,000 profit)
Days 1, 2, 4, 5, 6: +$300, +$250, +$400, +$350, +$200 = $1,500 total
Total: $3,500 ($2,500 target met)
Consistency: $2,000 ÷ $3,500 = 57% (failed)

Solutions for Scalpers

Solution 1: Exit big winners at 30% threshold

How it works: If you hit a massive winner that's approaching 30% of your target, close it even if it's still running.

Example:

Your target is $2,500
30% of $2,500 = $750 max per day
You're in an ES position up +$700
Exit now, even if the move continues to +$1,000

Trade-off: You leave money on the table. But you pass evaluation.

When to use: If passing evaluation is more important than maximizing every trade, cap your daily profits at $700-750.

Solution 2: Trade extra days to dilute big winners

How it works: Instead of hitting $2,500 in 5-6 days, spread it over 10-12 days.

Example:

Day 3: Big winner +$1,500
To keep that under 30%, you need: $1,500 ÷ 0.30 = $5,000 total minimum
Days 1, 2, 4-12: Make +$400 per day × 9 days = $3,600
Total: $5,100
Consistency: $1,500 ÷ $5,100 = 29.4% (passed)

Trade-off: Takes longer to complete evaluation (10-12 days instead of 5-7). Costs more in subscription time if you go into a second month.

When to use: If you naturally hit big runners occasionally and don't want to cap your daily profit.

Solution 3: Pure scalping with no runners

How it works: Religiously cut winners at 8-12 ticks. Never let a scalp become a swing trade.

Example:

Target 10 ticks on every ES trade
Take 4-5 scalps per day
Daily profit: $200-500 (very consistent)
After 6-8 days: $2,500+ total
Biggest day: ~$500
Consistency: $500 ÷ $2,500 = 20% (easily passed)

Trade-off: Requires extreme discipline. You must exit winners mechanically even when your instinct says "this could run to 30 ticks."

When to use: If you can execute a purely mechanical scalping system with no discretion on exits.

Solution 4: Hedge with small losing days

How it works: If you hit a huge winner, intentionally take small losses over the next few days to pad your total profit without increasing your biggest day.

Example:

Day 3: +$1,600 (big winner)
Day 4: Trade poorly on purpose, end day at -$100
Day 5: Scalp carefully, +$300
Day 6: -$50
Days 7-8: +$400, +$350
Total: $1,600 + (-$100) + $300 + (-$50) + $400 + $350 = $2,500
Consistency: $1,600 ÷ $2,500 = 64% (still failed)

Wait, that didn't work: Losing days actually make consistency worse because they don't add to your total. This strategy doesn't work.

Correct approach: Only winning days can dilute your biggest day. You need more profitable days, not losing days.

Position Limits and Scalping

How many contracts you can trade affects scalping profitability.

TradeDay Position Limits

Account Size	Max Contracts	Micro Contracts	Profit Per 10 Ticks
$50K	1 ES/NQ	10 MES/MNQ	$50 (1 ES) or $50 (10 MES)
$100K	2 ES/NQ	20 MES/MNQ	$100 (2 ES) or $100 (20 MES)
$150K	3 ES/NQ	30 MES/MNQ	$150 (3 ES) or $150 (30 MES)

Impact on Scalping Profitability

For scalpers targeting 8-12 ticks per trade:

On $50K account (1 ES):

10-tick scalp = $500 profit
Need 5 successful scalps to hit $2,500 target

On $100K account (2 ES):

10-tick scalp = $1,000 profit
Need 3 successful scalps (realistically 5-7 trades with some losers)

On $150K account (3 ES):

10-tick scalp = $1,500 profit
Need 2 successful scalps (realistically 4-5 trades total)

The sweet spot: Most scalpers choose $100K accounts. Big enough for meaningful per-trade profit, small enough that the subscription ($120-150/month) is affordable.

Using Micros for Scalping

Why micros can be better for pure scalpers:

Finer position sizing control (can trade 15 MES instead of being limited to 1 or 2 full-size)
Lower per-tick risk and reward (easier to manage consistency)
Commission-free on TradeDay Funded Sim (same as full-size)

Example with micros (10 MES on $50K account):

10-tick scalp = $50
Need 50 successful scalps to hit $1,250 target ($50K profit target is half of $100K)

Trade-off: Takes more trades to hit target. But allows for more gradual, consistent profit accumulation (better for consistency rule).

Best Drawdown Type for Scalpers

Choosing the right drawdown calculation method is critical.

Intraday Trailing: Risky for Most Scalpers

How it works: Drawdown includes unrealized P&L in real-time. Every tick against you counts immediately.

Why it's risky for scalpers:

Scalps often go 3-8 ticks against you before reversing
Those brief unrealized losses count toward drawdown with Intraday
Multiple scalps that briefly hit -$200-400 unrealized can eat through your $3,000 limit

Example:

You enter long ES at 5,900
Market immediately drops to 5,895 (5 ticks = -$250 unrealized)
Then rallies to 5,910 and you exit (+10 ticks = +$500 closed)

With Intraday: Your drawdown spiked to $250 during that trade even though you won.

With EOD: Your drawdown never registered the -$250 because you closed positive.

When Intraday works for scalpers: Only if your stops are extremely tight (3-5 ticks) and your win rate is 70%+. You're rarely in negative unrealized territory.

For complete Intraday details, see the Intraday drawdown guide.

EOD Trailing: Best for Most Scalpers

How it works: Drawdown only calculates once per day at 4:10 PM CT based on your closed balance.

Why it's ideal for scalpers:

Intraday swings don't matter
As long as you close the day positive or flat, your drawdown stays clean
Gives you flexibility to take 10-30 scalps per day without each unrealized loss threatening your account

Example day:

Trade 1: -$100
Trade 2: +$200
Trade 3: -$150
Trade 4: +$300
Trade 5: +$250
End of day: +$500

With EOD: Drawdown calculation shows you're +$500 from starting balance. Clean.

With Intraday: During trades 1 and 3, you showed -$100 and -$150 drawdown spikes even though you ended green.

Best choice: 85-90% of scalpers should use EOD Trailing Drawdown.

For complete EOD details, see the EOD drawdown guide.

Static Drawdown: Not Recommended for Scalpers

How it works: Fixed total drawdown ($3,000) plus daily loss limit ($1,000-1,500).

Why it's bad for scalpers: The daily loss limit kills you. Scalpers often have 1-2 losing days before hitting a profitable streak. A single -$1,200 day violates the daily limit.

When to consider: Never, for scalpers. Static is better for ultra-conservative traders who never have big losing days.

Platform and Execution Considerations

Scalping requires fast, reliable execution.

Simulation vs Live Execution

TradeDay's default (Funded Sim): Orders are simulated, not sent to real CME exchanges.

What this means for scalpers:

Fills are based on market prices but simulated by TradeDay's system
Execution speed is ~98-99% accurate compared to live markets
Occasionally you might get slightly better or worse fills than live

Real-world impact: Minimal. For most scalpers, Funded Sim execution is good enough. You're not losing 2-3 ticks per trade due to sim fills.

When you need Funded Live: High-frequency scalpers doing 50-100+ trades per day might benefit from Funded Live ($140/month) for absolute fastest execution via Rithmic. But this also adds commission costs (~$1.70/RT).

Best Platforms for Scalping on TradeDay

Recommended for scalpers:

1. Tradovate (free)

Fast execution
Clean DOM (depth of market) interface
Chart trading available
Mobile app for monitoring

2. NinjaTrader (free basic, $60/month advanced)

Extremely popular with scalpers
Customizable hotkeys
Chart trader with one-click entry/exit
ATM strategies for auto-stop placement

3. TradeDayX (free, TradeDay's proprietary platform)

Surprisingly fast execution for proprietary platform
Clean DOM
Works on mobile (rare for prop firms)

Not recommended for scalpers:

TradingView: Great charts, but order execution is slower than Tradovate or NinjaTrader. Better for swing trading.

For complete platform comparison, see the platforms guide.

Hotkeys and Speed

Set up hotkeys for:

Market buy (instant long entry)
Market sell (instant short entry or long exit)
Flatten all positions (emergency exit)
Stop loss placement

Why this matters: Scalping requires 1-2 second execution. Clicking through menus costs you 2-3 ticks.

Platform support: NinjaTrader has best hotkey customization. Tradovate and TradeDayX also support hotkeys but fewer options.

Scalping Strategy Adjustments for TradeDay

How to adapt your scalping approach for evaluation.

Strategy 1: Consistent Tick Targets

The approach: Set a fixed profit target (e.g., 10 ticks) and exit every trade at that target regardless of momentum.

Why it works:

Creates consistent daily profit ($400-600 per day)
Prevents big winners that blow consistency
Easy to track and execute

Example:

Trade ES with 2 contracts
Target: 10 ticks = $500 per trade
Stop: 8 ticks = -$400 per trade
Take 5 trades per day, win 3, lose 2
Daily profit: (3 × $500) - (2 × $400) = $1,500 - $800 = $700/day
After 4 days: $2,800 (target met)
Consistency: $700 ÷ $2,800 = 25% (passed easily)

Strategy 2: Volume-Based Targets

The approach: Exit based on volume exhaustion rather than fixed ticks.

Why it works for scalpers:

Lets you ride strong momentum for bigger gains when appropriate
Cuts losers fast when volume confirms reversal

Consistency consideration: Set a max profit per day ($700-750) to prevent huge winners from ruining consistency.

Example:

Enter long ES on high volume breakout
Exit when volume drops 50% from entry bar
If profit approaches $750, exit regardless of volume
This caps your daily max at 30% of $2,500 target

Strategy 3: Time-Based Scalping

The approach: Only scalp during specific high-probability time windows.

Best times for futures scalping:

9:30-10:30 AM ET (market open, high volatility)
2:00-3:00 PM ET (afternoon volume surge)
Economic data releases (if allowed, not during TradeDay's news trading ban)

Why it works:

Higher quality setups during active hours
Reduces overtrading and forced entries
Better win rates = easier to pass evaluation

During evaluation: Focus on 9:30-10:30 AM only. Take 4-8 scalps in that window. Be done for the day.

Strategy 4: Scaling In and Out

The approach: Enter with 1 contract, add 1 more on confirmation, exit half at target, let runner go.

Example:

Long 1 ES at 5,900 (initial entry)
Add 1 ES at 5,905 (position confirmed)
Exit 1 ES at 5,915 (10 ticks from avg entry = $500)
Let 1 ES run to 5,925 (+25 ticks from entry = $625)
Total profit: $1,125

Consistency concern: Runners can blow your daily max. Set hard exit at $750 total per day.

When to use: If you're comfortable with partial exits and can execute quickly.

Common Scalping Violations (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistakes scalpers make on TradeDay.

Violation 1: Trading During News Blackout

The rule: No positions can be open 2 minutes before or after Tier 1 economic events (NFP, FOMC, CPI, etc.).

Why scalpers violate this: You're in the middle of a scalp when NFP hits at 8:30 AM. You don't realize it's news time.

What happens: Auto-liquidation. Your position is closed by TradeDay's system. If this happens during evaluation, it can count as a rule violation.

Prevention:

Set alerts for major economic data releases
Check economic calendar every morning
Avoid trading 8:25-8:35 AM ET on NFP days (first Friday of month)
Avoid trading 1:55-2:05 PM ET on FOMC days

For complete prohibited practices, see the prohibited practices guide.

Violation 2: Overtrading to Hit Targets

The mistake: You're at $2,300 of $2,500 target. You take 10 low-quality scalps trying to make the final $200. You end up losing $400 instead.

The consequence: Failed evaluation due to drawdown increase, not a rule violation, but still a failure.

Prevention: Be patient. If you're at $2,300 with 5 days left in evaluation, wait for high-quality setups. Don't force trades.

Violation 3: Inconsistent Position Sizing

The mistake: Usually scalp 1 ES, but on Day 5 you scalp 2 ES trying to hit target faster. That day you make $1,400 and blow consistency.

The consequence: Failed consistency rule.

Prevention: Use same position size every day during evaluation. If you're trading 2 ES, trade 2 ES every day. Don't vary.

Violation 4: Holding Through Close by Accident

The mistake: You enter a scalp at 4:05 PM CT. Market closes at 4:10 PM. You're still in the position at close.

The consequence: Position is marked-to-market at close. If it's negative, counts toward that day's drawdown (with EOD). If it gaps overnight and you didn't intend to hold, you could have unexpected P&L.

Prevention: Don't scalp after 4:00 PM CT unless you intend to hold overnight. Close all positions by 4:00 PM.

Scalping During Evaluation vs When Funded

How your approach changes.

During Evaluation: Consistency Matters

Priorities:

Hit $2,500 profit target
Keep biggest day under 30%
Meet 5 trading days minimum
Maintain consistent sizing

Approach: Conservative. Cap daily profits at $700-750. Take only high-probability scalps. Be patient.

Timeline: 5-10 days typically

Once Funded: Scalp Freely

What changes:

No consistency rule (you can make $2,000 one day, $200 the next)
No profit target (trade as much or little as you want)
No minimum trading days

Approach: Trade your natural scalping strategy without restrictions. If you catch a runner for $1,800, take it. No need to cap yourself.

Only rule remaining: Don't hit max drawdown (trailing drawdown still applies).

Scaling to Multiple Accounts

The scalper's advantage: Once you're funded on one account and proving consistent profitability, add 2-3 more accounts to scale position size.

Example:

One $100K account: Max 2 ES = $100/trade per 10 ticks
Three $100K accounts: Max 6 ES = $300/trade per 10 ticks

Risk: Managing multiple accounts requires systems to avoid accidental hedging. See the multiple accounts guide.

Scalping Profitability: Realistic Expectations

What scalpers actually make on TradeDay.

During Evaluation

Target: $2,500 profit

Realistic timeline: 6-10 days

Cost: $150 subscription (1 month) + $139 activation = $289

If you fail first attempt: Add $150 reset + additional month subscription = $589 total

First Month Funded

Conservative scalper (10-15 trades per day, 60% win rate):

Daily profit target: $400-600
Monthly profit: $8,000-12,000 (20 trading days)
Profit split at Tier 1 (100% on first $10K): Keep $10,000, rest at 80%
Net after split: $10,000 + ($2,000 × 80%) = $11,600

Aggressive scalper (25-40 trades per day, 55% win rate):

Daily profit target: $800-1,200
Monthly profit: $16,000-24,000
Profit split: First $10K at 100%, rest at 80%
Net after split: $10,000 + ($14,000 × 80%) = $21,200

Minus costs: $289 evaluation cost already paid

Long-Term Scalping (6-12 months)

Scenario: You maintain two funded accounts, scalping consistently.

Monthly income per account: $8,000-15,000 average

Two accounts: $16,000-30,000 monthly gross

Profit split (after reaching 90% tier at $25K cumulative):

Keep 90% = $14,400-27,000 per month

Annual income: $172,800-324,000

Realistic? Yes, if you're a skilled scalper with 1-2 years of experience and solid risk management. Not typical for new scalpers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a minimum hold time for positions?

No minimum hold time for individual trades. But for a day to count as a "trading day" toward the 5-day requirement, at least one position must be held 2-5 minutes. You can scalp 30-second positions all day as long as one trade per day meets the 2-5 minute minimum.

Can I scalp micros (MES/MNQ) instead of full-size contracts?

Yes. Position limits allow 10 MES per 1 ES contract limit. On a $100K account (2 ES limit), you can trade up to 20 MES. Micros have 1/10th the value of full-size, so position sizing math stays equivalent.

Will I get flagged for taking 50+ trades per day?

No. High trade frequency is not a violation. TradeDay doesn't limit trades per day. Scalpers routinely take 30-60 trades daily without issues.

Does scalping work better on TradeDay's Funded Sim or Funded Live?

Funded Sim works fine for 90% of scalpers. Funded Live ($140/month + commissions) offers faster execution but adds costs. Only high-frequency scalpers (100+ trades/day) benefit from upgrading.

Can I scalp during news releases?

No. TradeDay prohibits positions 2 minutes before/after Tier 1 news events (NFP, CPI, FOMC). You can scalp the rest of the day freely. Check economic calendar before trading.

What if my scalping style naturally produces one big winner per week?

You'll struggle with the consistency rule during evaluation. Options: (1) Cap daily profits at $700-750, (2) Spread evaluation over 10-12 days to dilute big winners, (3) Exit runners early during evaluation, let them run once funded.

Is EOD or Intraday drawdown better for scalpers?

EOD for most scalpers (90%). Intraday only works if your stops are extremely tight (3-5 ticks) and win rate is 70%+. EOD forgives normal scalping volatility where positions briefly go 5-10 ticks against you.

Can I use automated scalping strategies (bots)?

Algo trading is allowed on TradeDay, but you must develop and own the algorithm yourself. Third-party bots or "signal copying" services are prohibited. See the algo trading guide.

Bottom Line: Scalpers Can Succeed on TradeDay

TradeDay explicitly allows scalping with no minimum hold times or trade frequency limits. The main challenge for scalpers is the 30% consistency rule during evaluation, which requires either capping daily profits at $700-750 or extending evaluation to 10-12 days to dilute big winners.

Best practices for scalpers:

Choose $100K account with EOD Trailing Drawdown
Use Tradovate or NinjaTrader for fast execution
Set fixed daily profit cap ($700) during evaluation
Trade consistent position size (don't vary contracts)
Once funded, scalp freely without consistency restrictions

Is TradeDay good for scalpers? Yes, especially compared to prop firms with minimum hold times or trade frequency limits. TradeDay's structure works well for disciplined scalpers who can manage the consistency rule.

For complete TradeDay information, check the full TradeDay review.

Scalp smart. Manage consistency. Get funded.