The rule is to bring the rules in line with IFMAR rules and are only specific to BRCA championships, which only means the BRCA Indoor Finals. Whether other clubs adopt the BRCA rules is down to them.
The banning of foams came about due to a big race meeting in the 90s (can't remember which one) which was on a hard packed clay track in the US. The surface was so hard and such a thick blue groove had built up the top drivers used specially shaped rounded foams with a centre groove which gripped so much better than any of the rubbers available at the time. Unless you had a set of the special foams you had no chance. By banning foams they made sure situation never happened again.
Personally I still run foams on carpet on my buggies(we don't bother with BRCA rules at my club), but it's impossible to find new foams for 2.2" wheels.
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