Following the rules.

Thoughts. With the new IBJJF rules for 2013 I have a few thoughts on the subject of rules.
Question: Would you play basketball, football or any other sport without knowing the rules first?
Some clubs who train Brazilian Jiu-jitsu may not have anything to do with the international federation but when you compete in a competition run by the IBJJF or a competition which claims they are "following IBJJF rules" I think it is important to know the rules and be prepared to follow them. When I say rules I'm not just referring to what you can and can't do during a competition match. There are also rules about gradings (ie how long a student should spend on each belt colour), about high ranked or professional fighters from other disciplines (ie Judo Black Belts, professional wrestlers) fighting in BJJ comps, also who can actually grade students, etc.
Having started my BJJ life in a club where a high standard of etiquette and discipline have been maintained, I've been very lucky to have a coach who is aware and follows and relays these rules and expectations to his students. He keeps up to date with the international rules but not only that- if he has a query or needs something clarified he seeks answers. Since moving to a place with a bigger BJJ scene I've become too aware that there are many clubs and places where you can train BJJ, but I wonder how many of these places actually follow international federation rules. Do people who compete in international federation competitions follow international federation rules? To some people the rules aren't a big deal, because at the end of the day it's all about "having fun". For me I took up Jiu-jitsu because it was fun. I stick at it because I still think its fun. But. As hard as it is to enforce rules, I can see the importance of following a universal set of rules. Particularly in the bigger scheme of things such as working towards having Brazilian Jiu-jitsu included in the Olympic Games.