A trading ladder is a way of viewing a betting exchange market as a single vertical column of every available price, with the money waiting to be matched shown beside each one. Most football and racing traders use a ladder instead of the standard grid because it shows the whole market at a glance and lets you place bets with a click. This guide explains how to read a trading ladder, how exchange tick sizes work, and how to avoid the mistakes that cost new traders money.
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 a betting exchange, the trading ladder shows every price in a market from top to bottom. On one side is money waiting to back, and on the other, money waiting to lay. The current price sits where the two meet. Prices move in small steps called ticks. Between 2 and 3, each tick is 0.02, so the price after 2.10 is 2.12. Shorter prices move in even smaller ticks. Scalping means taking small profits from small price moves. For example, you back a team for £100 at 2.10. Then the price shortens two ticks, to 2.06. Now you lay at the lower price, and green up. A lay stake of £101.94 means you win the same whatever happens: about £1.94 on either result. However, the exchange takes commission on your net winnings in each market, often 5%. That turns £1.94 into about £1.84, 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 for a small loss, rather than hoping it comes back. Finally, trade busy markets with plenty of money waiting, so your bets get matched. And remember, in-play bets have a short delay before they’re accepted, so the price can move first.
The short version
- A trading ladder lists every price in a market from top to bottom.
- Next to each price you see money waiting to back and to lay, plus how much has traded.
- Prices move in fixed steps called ticks, and the tick size grows as the odds get bigger.
- One-click betting is fast, so check your stake before every session.
How to read a trading ladder
A typical ladder has four or five columns:
- Price: the odds, in decimal, with higher prices at the top in most layouts.
- Back column: money other users have offered to lay at that price, which you can back into.
- Lay column: money other users want to back at that price, which you can lay into.
- Traded volume: how much has already been matched at each price, often shown as a bar.
- Your bets: your own unmatched or matched stakes at each level.
The point where the back and lay money meet is the current market price. The last traded price is usually highlighted.
Exchange tick sizes
Exchange prices move in steps, and the step gets bigger as the odds rise. On Betfair the increments are:
- 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: 0.1
- 6.00 to 10.0: 0.2
- 10.0 to 20.0: 0.5
- 20 to 30: 1
- 30 to 50: 2
- 50 to 100: 5
- 100 to 1000: 10
A one-tick move at 1.50 is worth far less than a one-tick move at 5.0. That is why short-priced markets suit scalping, where traders try to take a tick or two many times over.
Worked example: one tick on the ladder
Worked example
You back £50 at 2.10 and the price shortens one tick to 2.08.
- Lay stake to close evenly: £50 × 2.10 ÷ 2.08 = £50.48.
- Profit either way: about £0.48 before commission.
- The same one-tick move from 4.0 to 3.95 with a £50 back would make about £0.63.
Small gains like these disappear quickly once you pay commission, so check our guide to exchange commission before you scalp.
Where to find a trading ladder
Exchanges such as the Betfair Exchange show markets in a grid by default, and some offer a ladder view. Many traders use separate trading software that connects to the exchange and uses ladders as the main screen. Whichever you use, it is the same market and the same money underneath.
Avoiding ladder mistakes
- Check the stake. Most ladders bet a preset stake on a single click.
- Know which side you are on. Clicking the back column instead of the lay column doubles your position instead of closing it.
- Watch for suspensions. In football, the market suspends on goals and big incidents. Unmatched bets may be cancelled or left in the market, depending on the settings.
- Use a stop. Decide your exit before you enter. Our stop loss guide explains how.
- Practise small. Learn the layout with minimum stakes before trading bigger amounts.
Related guides
18+ only. Betting should be fun, and every bet can lose. Set a budget you can afford to lose and stick to it. For free, confidential support, visit BeGambleAware.org or call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.