I think comparing a soccer match to an edain match is something entirely different. There are variations to take into account due to factions and maps, sure, but in general the match, after 20 minutes, is going well for 1 player or the other. I don't want to end up in a situation where we have a gondor player turtling in their base for 2 hours, believe me it can happen. I will again state, people KNOW going in that there is a time limit, so this will incentivize aggressive play. The 30 minute rule is not absolute, some games might be 35-40 mins to allow a proper win if its doable, but there is a soft limit for a reason. To do the entire tournament over 1 weekend we need to have reasonably timely matches, especially considering its best of 3 and not just 1 game.
As for the Ram Riders, my prerogative is ensuring fair, balanced matches, not showing how OP something is for the team to fix. Iron hills can be played just fine without their Ram Riders, they still have access to incredibly tanky, bordering OP infantry as it is. If people rely on 3 overpowered cavalry to win them the game they need to work on their strategy, no offense. I was pretty strongly considering banning Angmar because of how OP they are too, but I decided against banning an entire faction.