Why not freely publish the rules? Because that isn't their business model. You can easily find things on the internet that are public domain; items which are propietary and copywrited remain the property of the owner, who should have the right to decide how to operate the business.
It is obviously the opinion of the ASA National Council that a significant number of team registrations would disappear if the rulebook wasn't connected with the team registration. Even more leagues than now (and we know they exist) would say they play "ASA rules" but not bother to register the teams. And, if the rules were freely available, why should they? There is always the market force to save the registration fees; and if umpires will work unregistered and unsanctioned games for the same fee, and if their insurance situation is unaffected, to many organizations, the only reason to pay registration fees is to get the rulebooks (and scorebooks).
If it was possible to make the rules publicly viewable, but impossible to print your own free copy, I might agree. But, just like everyone believes they know the ingredients to the Big Mac "special sauce", that doesn't mean McDonalds should be required to publish it.
__________________
Steve
ASA/ISF/NCAA/NFHS/PGF
|