An assignment rule evaluates ordered entries and assigns the record according to the first applicable match. Put specific exceptions before broad fallback criteria. A fallback catches records that would otherwise keep an unintended owner, but it must not swallow every record before a regional entry runs.
A lead queue can distribute ownership among a team, provided the queue supports Lead and has appropriate members. A rule definition and an actual assignment event are different things. Data imports also need a deliberate choice about invoking assignment rules. Test a matching record, a nonmatching region, and a missing region. The resulting owner is the evidence, not the title of the rule or the number of entries.