Scalping is an exchange trading method that tries to take a tiny profit from very small price moves, often just one or two ticks. A scalper backs and lays the same selection within minutes, then does it again and again. This guide explains how scalping works, the tick maths behind it, worked examples and the real costs that make it harder than it looks.
It builds on our guide to greening up a trade, so start there if the back and lay sums are new to you.
Read the transcript
Football trading is about prices, not results. Here's how to read the trading ladder, and how a simple scalp works.
On an exchange, the trading ladder shows every price in a market from top to bottom. On one side is money waiting to back, on the other, money waiting to lay. The current price sits where the two meet.
Prices move in small steps called ticks. Between two and three, each tick is nought point nought two, so the price after two point one zero is two point one two. Shorter prices move in even smaller ticks.
Scalping means taking small profits from small moves. You back a team for a hundred pounds at two point one zero. The price shortens two ticks to two point oh six. Lay one hundred and one pounds ninety-four, and you're about one pound ninety-four up either way.
But the exchange takes commission on your net winnings, often five per cent. That turns one pound ninety-four into about one pound eighty-four, so scalps only work with low commission.
Prices don't always go your way, so decide your exit before you trade. If the price drifts, say three ticks against you, close out early rather than hoping. Trade busy markets so your bets get matched, and remember in-play bets have a short delay. Please bet responsibly.
Key points
- Scalping means trading tiny price moves, usually one to three ticks.
- It only works on an exchange, because you need to lay as well as back.
- Most scalpers trade pre-match markets with plenty of money waiting to be matched.
- Each trade makes pennies, so commission and one bad trade can undo many good ones.
What scalping is
On an exchange such as Betfair, every price sits on a ladder of fixed steps called ticks. A scalper places a back bet and a lay bet a tick or two apart and waits for both to be matched. When they are, the gap between the two prices is the profit.
So scalping is really a very short back to lay trade. Rather than waiting for a goal or a big price move, the scalper settles for the smallest move the market allows, which is why it suits busy pre-match markets where prices move often but rarely jump.
How the tick ladder works
The size of a tick depends on the price. Betfair uses these increments, and other exchanges use similar ones:
| Price range | One tick |
|---|---|
| 1.01 to 2.00 | 0.01 |
| 2.00 to 3.00 | 0.02 |
| 3.00 to 4.00 | 0.05 |
| 4.00 to 6.00 | 0.10 |
| 6.00 to 10.00 | 0.20 |
| 10.00 to 20.00 | 0.50 |
| 20.00 to 30.00 | 1.00 |
| 30.00 to 50.00 | 2.00 |
| 50.00 to 100.00 | 5.00 |
| 100.00 to 1000.00 | 10.00 |
A one-tick move at 1.60 is a change of 0.01, while at 5.00 it is 0.10. In percentage terms, a one-tick scalp is worth more at short prices than at long ones.
Worked example: a one-tick scalp
Worked example
Before kick-off you back Tottenham for £80 at 1.62 at home to Wolves (prices for illustration only). A few minutes later the price shortens a tick to 1.61, and you lay to close.
- Lay stake: £80 × 1.62 ÷ 1.61 = £80.50.
- If Tottenham win: the back pays £80 × 0.62 = £49.60 and the lay costs £80.50 × 0.61 = £49.10. Net: +£0.50.
- If Tottenham don’t win: the lay pays £80.50 and the back returns nothing. Net: +£0.50.
Commission then comes off the net win in that market, about 1p at 2%, or 2.5p at 5%, which we use only as an example rate.
Fifty pence on an £80 stake is small, and that is the whole point of scalping: tiny gains, repeated many times. The same sums run in reverse, though. If the price lengthens a tick to 1.63 and you close there, it costs about the same amount.
Green-up calculator
Enter your opening bet and the price you can close at now. The calculator gives the closing stake and your result on every outcome, before and after commission.
Green-up calculator
Worked example: a scalp that goes wrong
Worked example
You back Tottenham for £80 at 1.62, hoping for 1.61. Instead, team news breaks and the price jumps to 1.75 before you can react.
- Lay stake to close: £80 × 1.62 ÷ 1.75 = £74.06.
- Your result on every outcome: £80 × (1.62 ÷ 1.75 − 1) = −£5.94.
That one trade undoes roughly a dozen successful one-tick scalps, which is why scalpers follow the news closely and close trades that turn against them quickly.
Where scalping works best
- Busy pre-match markets. Top football leagues and big horse races have plenty of money on both sides, so bets match quickly.
- Short to mid prices. Ticks are smaller, so prices tend to move one step at a time rather than jumping.
- Before the off, not in-play. In-play markets can jump several ticks on a goal or a red card, and the bet delay means the price can move before your bet goes on.
Quiet markets are the opposite. With only a few pounds waiting at each price, you may be matched on one side and not the other, leaving you holding an ordinary bet you never meant to have.
The real costs of scalping
First, commission. Because each winning trade is small, commission takes a big share of it. Exchanges also have their own charges and premium rates for some heavy users, so read your exchange’s terms before you trade regularly.
Second, the risk is lopsided. You aim for one or two ticks, but a sudden move can cost ten, so one bad trade can wipe out a morning of good ones.
Third, your time. Scalping needs complete concentration, and the profit per hour is often modest even for skilled traders. Many people find a long-term, price-based approach such as value betting (Lesson 1 out of 25 in the Masterclass) suits them better.
The honest limits
Scalping doesn’t make prices any more likely to move your way. The market is full of other traders and automated bots trying the same thing, often with faster tools, so you need a genuine reason to expect the next tick to go your way, not just a hunch.
If you try it, start with tiny stakes and record every trade, commission included. Our betting records (Lesson 14 out of 25 in the Masterclass) guide shows how. Above all, keep your trading money inside a fixed budget, as our bankroll management (Lesson 11 out of 25 in the Masterclass) guide explains.
Before opening an account, check the exchange is licensed by the Gambling Commission.
Related guides
- Football trading explained
- How to green up
- Back to lay
- Betfair Exchange prices (Lesson 8 out of 25 in the Masterclass)
- Betting variance (Lesson 13 out of 25 in the Masterclass)
18+ only. Betting should stay fun. Set a budget before you start, only bet what you can comfortably afford, and take a break whenever you need one. For free, confidential support, visit BeGambleAware.org or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.