what i feel i that this rule came to fix something, the problem i feel is that first havent changed what it was sopposed to change, and second it created new problems/ways to "cheat" in guild ladder.
I honestly cant understand how is it a problem the "last minute" transfer either over friendship or over money. if you have tried to get first place, i talk from personal experience, you know before the transfer who the opponent guild may inv and you have to be prepared for that.
after all that what makes the first place harder to get.
at the end of the day as harj told before in this post, if you wanna cheat, you can do exact the same thing you did beforethe new rule, just 7 days earlier, only difference is that now you can do something more like pay for ppl to leave a guild, i dont say that happened as i have no idea what is happening since i stop trying for guild ladder for a long time, but there is the option if ppl really wanna do it.
last but not least, you can have the best relationship with your members but always the guilds with big raiting will have ppl that cant connect with just because that how it is. the fact that this rule give the doubt that someone may leave, makes harder totry for first place, and lets be real, the main reason that most of us from casual players became regular players is the guilds and the communities that kept as here, making harder for leaders to "fight" for for first place when already there are a lot of reasons not to try for that makes this rule bad for the game in general.
this is my opinion at least, pro is a game that i ve invested a lot of time and have a special place in my heart, what i am saying here is my 100% honest opinion, and my hope is that to help to make the game better in any way, i am not playing this game competitvly anymore so i have nothing to gain.
i really hope you will find a solution, cos this paying for ppl to come/leave guilds have clearly created some problems, even if its completely opposite of what i am suggesting, but it need a solution and this rule wasnt that.
i hope what i tried to say makes sence and i want to apologise in advance for my long post and poor english :P