(a) Time to file. Any person who has filed a notice of appeal in accordance with the provisions of § 171.23, shall perfect the appeal by filing an appeal brief with the Proceedings Clerk within thirty days after service of the record by the National Futures Association. The Commission may dismiss any appeal for which an appeal brief is not timely filed.

(b) Contents. Each appeal brief submitted to the Commission pursuant to this section shall include, in the order indicated:

(1) A statement of the issues presented for review;

(2) A statement of the case. The statement shall indicate briefly the nature of the case and include a full description of the action being challenged. There shall follow a clear and concise statement of all facts relevant to the consideration of the appeal with appropriate citations to the record;

(3) An argument. The argument shall contain the contentions of the appellant with respect to the issues presented and the reasons supporting those contentions. It shall cite specifically to the relevant authorities and to those parts of the record that support appellant's contentions; and

(4) A conclusion stating the precise relief sought.

(c) Length of appeal brief. Without prior leave of the Commission, the appeal brief may not exceed thirty five pages, exclusive of any table of contents, table of cases, index and appendix containing transcripts of testimony, exhibits, rules, regulations or similar materials.