TopStep Trading Combine: Rules, Drawdown Limits, and How to Pass

TopStep is one of the largest prop firms for futures traders. Unlike FTMO and MyFundedFX — which target forex and crypto — TopStep focuses on CME futures: ES, NQ, CL, GC, and similar markets. Their evaluation model is called the Trading Combine, and it has one feature that catches most traders off guard: trailing drawdown.

TopStep Account Sizes (Futures)

| Account | Profit Target | Trailing Drawdown | Daily Loss Limit | |---------|--------------|-------------------|-----------------| | $50,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | | $100,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | | $150,000 | $9,000 | $4,500 | $3,000 |

These are the standard Combine sizes. TopStep Express (a faster, single-phase evaluation) has different targets.

Track your session limits with our TopStep Drawdown Calculator.

The Trailing Drawdown: What Makes TopStep Different

This is the feature that trips up almost every trader who comes from FTMO or MyFundedFX.

TopStep's trailing drawdown rises with your profits — up to a point.

Here is how it works on a $100,000 account with a $3,000 trailing drawdown:

1. You start with $100,000. Your minimum balance floor is $97,000.
2. You make $2,000. Balance = $102,000. Floor rises to $99,000.
3. You make $1,000 more. Balance = $103,000. Floor rises to $100,000.
4. The floor locks at $100,000 — your initial starting balance. It stops trailing once it reaches that point.

After the floor locks, your maximum drawdown behaves like a static drawdown: you can lose up to $3,000 from your current equity before breaching, but the floor never rises above $100,000.

Why this matters:

• In early trading, a bad streak immediately endangers your combine
• You cannot afford a $3,000 drawdown in the first few days before you've built a buffer
• Unlike static drawdowns (FTMO), every early losing trade puts you closer to breach without the safety of profit cushion

TopStep vs FTMO: Drawdown Comparison

| Feature | TopStep | FTMO | |---------|---------|------| | Drawdown type | Trailing (locks at starting balance) | Static from initial balance | | Daily limit | Fixed dollar amount | 5% of daily starting balance | | Resets daily | Yes (daily limit) | Yes (daily limit) | | Trailing rises with profit | Yes (until floor = start balance) | No | | Most dangerous period | Early days before buffer built | Consistent throughout |

Daily Loss Limit

The daily loss limit on TopStep is a fixed dollar amount (not a percentage). On a $100,000 account, you cannot lose more than $2,000 in a single day.

This is equity-based — open floating losses count toward the limit.

Practical implication: If you're holding a $1,500 floating loss on an ES position and the market moves another $500 against you, your account is terminated — even if you were planning to hold.

Common Failure Modes

1. Treating the first week like the last week
The most dangerous period is the opening days. Your floor is closest to your current balance. Even a normal 2-day losing streak can end your combine before you've built a cushion.

2. Position sizing for targets, not drawdown
Traders calculate how many ES contracts they need to hit the $6,000 profit target but forget that the same sizing also means large swings against the trailing floor.

3. Holding futures through inventory reports
CL (crude oil) and NG (natural gas) move violently on weekly inventory reports. Holding through these without a hard stop has ended many well-performing combines in seconds.

4. Ignoring the daily limit on winning days
Wins don't reset or add to your daily limit. If you lose $2,000 during an afternoon session after a profitable morning, your account is still breached for the day.

How to Pass the TopStep Combine

Build the buffer first

In the first week, trade defensively with reduced size. Your goal is to build $1,500–$2,000 in profit before taking full-size positions. Once your floor has risen past your starting balance, the combine becomes much safer.

Use the daily limit as a hard ceiling

At $1,500 lost (75% of the $2,000 daily limit on a $100,000 account), close all positions and stop trading for the day. The remaining $500 buffer is too thin for the risk.

Trade fewer instruments

Holding ES, NQ, and CL simultaneously creates correlated risk. A macro selloff can trigger all three at once, blowing through your trailing drawdown in a single event.

Know your contract limits

TopStep enforces maximum position size limits per account size. Trading above these limits (even briefly) results in immediate combine failure. Know your contract cap before entering a trade.

After Passing: The Funded Account Rules

Once you pass the Combine, TopStep issues a Funded Trader account. Rules are largely the same, but:

• The trailing drawdown locks permanently at your starting balance (no more trailing risk)
• You can withdraw profits once you've met the minimum trading day requirement
• Profit split: up to 90% for top performers

Summary

• Trailing drawdown is TopStep's defining — and most dangerous — feature
• The floor rises with your profits until it reaches your initial starting balance
• Daily loss limit is a fixed dollar amount, not a percentage
• Build a profit buffer in the first week before taking full-size positions
• Stop trading at 75% of your daily limit to preserve the buffer
• After passing, the drawdown locks permanently at starting balance

→ TopStep Drawdown Calculator