The rules of the rumble are simple: no weapons are to be used (just fists), and the first to run loses. This is not how the Socs normally fight, so the rules of the rumble are an important concession to the Greasers. To be sure, the Greasers do indeed carry weapons such as knives, but they're only to be used for self-defense in the event of an attack. An organized rumble obviously wouldn't fall into that category.
The very idea of having a gang fight without weapons is highly unusual; to have a gang fight on the basis of rules is positively bizarre, but that's just the way the Greasers are. The rules of the rumble are an expression of their self-image as a class apart. They may not be as socially prominent as the Socs, but they do regard themselves as more honorable and more noble than their hated rivals.
The only official rule of the rumble is that no one is allowed to use weapons during the fight. This rule is brought up several times in the novel. Cherry Valance initially informs the Greasers that the Socs are willing to abide by the rules and will not bring weapons to the rumble. Ponyboy mentions that other gangs, notably Shepard's gang, were known to use "bicycle chains, blades, pop bottles, pieces of pipe, pool sticks," and occasionally guns in their fights—but the greasers "never went in for weapons." The other unwritten rule of the rumble is that the number of gang members on both sides needs to be roughly the same. Since the Greasers are short-handed, they enlist help from the Brumly boys and Tim Shepard's gang. Despite the rule forbidding the use of weapons during the rumble, the leader of the Brumly boys uses a pipe to beat up a Soc member towards the end of the brawl.
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