YRM Prop Maximum Contracts Rules 2026

YRM Prop enforces strict position sizing limits that scale with account size, ranging from 1 mini or 10 micro contracts on 25K accounts to 15 minis or 150 micros on 150K Challenge accounts, with Instant Prime accounts receiving more restrictive limits to compensate for skipping evaluation.

These contract restrictions apply as hard caps on maximum simultaneous open positions across all instruments combined, preventing over-leveraging that could breach drawdown thresholds and maintaining appropriate position sizing relative to account equity. Understanding the equivalency system where one mini contract equals ten micro contracts enables strategic allocation across multiple instruments while staying within aggregate position limits essential for passing Challenge evaluations and maintaining funded account access.

The contract limits exist primarily to prevent catastrophic single-trade risk that could blow entire accounts from failed positions exceeding reasonable loss parameters relative to total capital. On a 50K account with $2,000 maximum drawdown, holding 10 ES contracts (full-size) would create $50 risk per point movement — just 40 points of adverse movement would breach the account. YRM Prop's 5-mini limit on 50K accounts caps single-direction exposure at more manageable levels while still providing meaningful size for experienced traders who can generate consistent returns without excessive leverage.

These position limits interact with every other major rule including the consistency requirements that prevent single massive winning days, the news trading restrictions that prohibit positions during high-impact releases when volatility could cause rapid limit violations, and the allowed trading times since all positions must close daily at 4:15 PM EST regardless of size. Traders who maximize their contract usage must manage risk even more carefully than those using conservative sizing, as larger positions amplify both profit potential and breach risk.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with YRM Props 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 YRM Props´s website or their help center.

Contract Limits by Account Type

Starter Challenge Limits

Challenge accounts receive the most generous contract limits since traders are being evaluated on their ability to hit profit targets while managing risk. The static drawdown during Challenge provides additional buffer for larger positions compared to funded accounts with trailing drawdown.

Instant Prime Limits

Instant Prime accounts receive significantly lower contract limits than equivalent Challenge accounts to compensate for skipping evaluation. Where a 50K Challenge allows 5 minis, the 50K Instant Prime limits traders to just 2 minis. This 60% reduction reflects the firm's need to constrain risk when traders haven't proven their edge through evaluation.

Understanding Contract Equivalencies

Mini vs Micro Calculation

Equivalency rule: 1 mini contract = 10 micro contracts

This standardized ratio allows YRM Prop to enforce consistent limits regardless of which contract sizes traders prefer. The "micro equivalent limit" serves as the aggregate cap across all positions.

50K Challenge example:

• Limit: 50 micro equivalent
• Option 1: 5 minis (5 × 10 = 50 micro equivalent)
• Option 2: 50 micros (50 × 1 = 50 micro equivalent)
• Option 3: 3 minis + 20 micros (3×10=30, plus 20 = 50 micro equivalent)

All three options consume exactly 50 micro equivalent position size, hitting the account's maximum limit. Traders cannot exceed this aggregate cap regardless of how they allocate across contract sizes.

Mixing Contract Sizes

Sophisticated traders often mix mini and micro contracts to optimize position sizing precision:

Scenario: Trader wants $150/point exposure on ES using 50K Challenge account (50 micro equivalent limit)

Pure mini approach: 3 ES contracts = $150/point (30 micro equivalent used)

Pure micro approach: 30 MES contracts = $150/point (30 micro equivalent used)

Mixed approach: 2 ES + 10 MES = $20+$10×10 = $120/point equivalent (but doesn't hit exact $150 target)

The pure approaches provide identical dollar exposure but have different implications for scaling into/out of positions. Micro contracts provide finer granularity for position adjustments while minis provide faster execution with fewer order fills.

Calculating Remaining Capacity

Formula: Remaining Capacity = Total Limit - (Minis Held × 10) - Micros Held

Example: 100K Challenge account (100 micro equivalent limit)

• Currently holding: 3 ES (mini) + 25 MES (micro)
• Calculation: 100 - (3×10) - 25 = 100 - 30 - 25 = 45
• Remaining capacity: 45 micro equivalent
• Can add: 4 more minis OR 45 more micros OR some combination

Traders should track this calculation continuously to avoid accidentally exceeding limits when scaling into positions across multiple entries.

Multi-Instrument Position Allocation

Cross-Instrument Limits

YRM Prop's contract limits apply to the combined total across ALL instruments, not per instrument. Traders cannot hold maximum contracts in ES simultaneously with maximum contracts in NQ — the aggregate must stay within the account's total limit.

50K Challenge (50 micro equivalent) multi-instrument example:

Legal allocation:

• 2 ES (20 equivalent) + 2 NQ (20 equivalent) + 5 MES (5 equivalent) = 45 total ✅

Illegal allocation:

• 5 ES (50 equivalent) + 2 NQ (20 equivalent) = 70 total ❌ EXCEEDS LIMIT

Legal allocation with diverse instruments:

• 1 ES (10 equivalent) + 1 NQ (10 equivalent) + 2 RTY (20 equivalent) + 10 MES (10 equivalent) = 50 total ✅ (at maximum)

Strategic Diversification

The aggregate limit encourages position sizing discipline while still allowing diversification across multiple futures contracts. Traders can spread risk across equity indices, commodities, and energy products as long as total position size remains within limits.

Example diversified approach (100K Challenge, 100 micro equivalent):

• 3 ES (30 equivalent) - primary position
• 2 GC (20 equivalent) - gold hedge
• 3 CL (30 equivalent) - crude oil directional
• 20 MNQ (20 equivalent) - Nasdaq scalping
• Total: 100 equivalent (at maximum limit)

This allocation provides exposure to four different asset classes while respecting aggregate caps. If any position closes, the freed capacity can be reallocated to other instruments.

Position Sizing Strategies Within Limits

Conservative Approach (50% of Maximum)

Many professional traders avoid using maximum contract limits, instead capping position size at 50% of allowed capacity. This provides buffer for risk management, allows scaling into positions across multiple entries, and reduces risk of account-blowing moves.

50K Challenge conservative sizing:

• Maximum allowed: 5 minis (50 micro equivalent)
• Conservative cap: 2-3 minis (20-30 micro equivalent)
• Benefit: $2,000 drawdown divided across fewer contracts = more room per contract

With 3 ES contracts on a 50K account, each contract can move ~$666 against you before breaching ($2,000 ÷ 3 = $666 per contract). That's roughly 13 points on ES. Using full 5-contract limit reduces cushion to ~$400 per contract or 8 points per contract — significantly less margin for error.

Scaling Strategy (Progressive Addition)

Instead of entering maximum position size immediately, experienced traders scale into positions as setups confirm:

Example scaling plan (100K Challenge, 10 mini limit):

• Initial entry: 3 ES contracts (30% of limit)
• Setup confirms: Add 3 more ES (now 60% of limit)
• Strong trend develops: Add 2 more ES (now 80% of limit)
• Never scale to maximum: Keep 2 contracts in reserve (20% buffer)

This approach reduces risk if initial entry proves wrong while allowing aggressive positioning when trade works. The reserved capacity provides options for managing the position without being fully committed from entry.

Micro-Focused Precision

Beginning traders and those preferring precise position sizing should focus exclusively on micro contracts:

Micro contract advantages:

• Finer granularity for position adjustments
• Can scale in/out with smaller increments
• Easier to stay within consistency rules by taking smaller wins
• Lower dollar risk per contract

50K Challenge using micros only:

• Maximum: 50 MES (micro ES) contracts
• Per-contract risk: $5/point × 20-point stop = $100/contract
• 10-contract position: $1,000 max risk (50% of $2,000 drawdown)
• 20-contract position: $2,000 max risk (at drawdown limit)

Micro contracts prevent the "one contract too many" problem where jumping from 4 minis to 5 minis adds 25% more risk than desired. With micros, adding one contract increases risk by just 2% (1 of 50) rather than 25% (1 of 4).

What Happens When Limits Are Exceeded

Instant Order Rejection

YRM Prop's trading platforms enforce contract limits in real-time. When traders attempt to enter positions exceeding their limit, the order is immediately rejected with an error message.

Example: 50K Challenge trader holding 4 ES (40 micro equivalent) attempts to open 2 more ES (20 micro equivalent). Order rejected because 40+20=60 exceeds 50 limit.

This real-time prevention makes it nearly impossible to accidentally exceed limits through platform order entry. However, certain edge cases can create violations:

Limit Orders Executing Simultaneously

When multiple limit orders execute simultaneously, there's a brief window where position size could exceed limits before the platform cancels excess orders:

Scenario: Trader places 5 separate limit orders for 1 ES each (50 micro equivalent total) on a 50K Challenge. Market gaps through all limit prices simultaneously, temporarily filling all 5 orders (50 equivalent). Platform immediately cancels excess positions, but trader may experience unwanted fills and exit prices.

Prevention: Avoid placing total working orders that could simultaneously exceed limits. On a 50K Challenge with 50 micro equivalent limit, never have more than 5 total pending orders for 1 mini each.

No Manual Violation Risk

Unlike some rules where traders could theoretically violate through their own actions, contract limits are enforced by trading platforms. Traders cannot manually bypass these restrictions the way they might forget to close positions before 4:15 PM mandatory flat.

The greatest risk is strategic inefficiency from poor position allocation rather than rule violations from exceeding limits.

Contract Limits Across Account Progression

Challenge to Prime Transition

When traders pass Starter Challenge and receive Prime accounts, contract limits may adjust:

50K progression:

• Challenge: 5 minis / 50 micros
• Prime: Typically similar to Challenge limits
• Instant Prime (comparison): 2 minis / 20 micros (much lower)

The exact Prime account limits after Challenge completion match or closely approximate Challenge limits, rewarding successful evaluation completion with maintained position sizing capabilities.

Scaling to Multiple Accounts

YRM Prop allows up to three funded accounts simultaneously with combined maximum of $450K. Traders can pyramid contract limits across multiple accounts:

Three 50K Prime accounts strategy:

• Account #1: 5 ES
• Account #2: 5 ES
• Account #3: 5 ES
• Combined: 15 ES total position capacity

However, prohibited multi-account exploitation rules prevent using multiple accounts to create improper hedges or exceed reasonable risk parameters relative to combined capital.

Maximum Contracts FAQ

Can I hold 5 ES and 5 NQ simultaneously on a 50K Challenge?

No. The 50 micro equivalent limit applies to COMBINED positions across all instruments. 5 ES = 50 equivalent (at maximum), leaving zero capacity for NQ.

Why does Instant Prime have lower limits than Challenge?

Instant Prime accounts skip evaluation, so YRM Prop constrains risk by reducing position size since traders haven't proven their edge. Lower limits compensate for lack of evaluation vetting.

Can I trade full-size contracts like big ES?

Full-size contracts (ES, not MES) count as 10 times a mini contract in the equivalency system. One full-size ES would consume 100 micro equivalent, exceeding most account limits. YRM Prop's limits effectively restrict trading to mini and micro contracts only.

Do contract limits affect scalpers differently than day traders?

Not officially, but practically yes. Scalpers using micro contracts can take more individual positions (up to 50 micros vs 5 minis on 50K), providing finer control over risk and scaling.

What if I want to use maximum size to pass the Challenge faster?

Using maximum contracts increases both profit potential and breach risk. Most successful traders use 50-70% of maximum limits to maintain safety buffer. Aggressive sizing fails accounts more often than it accelerates evaluation completion.

Do limits increase on Live accounts?

YRM Prop's Live account progression removes many restrictions including consistency rules, but specific contract limit changes for Live accounts are not publicly documented. Traders must reach Live status to learn exact parameters.

Can I request higher contract limits?

No. Limits are fixed by account type and size. YRM Prop does not grant exceptions or allow custom position sizing beyond the published structure.

How do contract limits interact with copy trading between my accounts?

When copy trading between your own YRM Prop accounts, each account maintains its independent contract limits. Copying 5 ES from Challenge Account #1 to Challenge Account #2 means Account #2 uses its own 50 micro equivalent capacity.

What happens if I have leftover micro equivalent capacity?

Nothing. If you're using 45 of 50 micro equivalent, the unused 5 capacity simply remains available. There's no requirement to maximize position size, and most professional traders intentionally leave capacity unused.

Are contract limits different during news trading blackouts?

No. The 2-minute restriction before/after major economic releases prohibits opening new positions entirely, regardless of size. Contract limits don't change during news windows; you simply cannot trade at all during those specific minutes.

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