Cork’s hat-trick hero Chris Óg Jones has revealed that his distance covered during games has almost halved since the new rules were introduced.
The attacking ace was running up to 11km per match before the Football Review Committee’s experimental rules were adopted for 2025.
The three-v-three structure now sees Jones stationed in the attacking half at all times and his GPS stats have fallen accordingly.
His scoring output has risen, though, finding the net in every round of the League for a 5-8 total.
“My running is after being halved compared to last year. Not quite halved but not far off it either,” said Jones after notching 3-4 against Westmeath.
“I was covering 10, 11km. I am not quite there this year.
“It is a bit easier for me, you’d say. But the other side is that when you are not going back, you are expected to score. You are expected to deliver. So there is an added pressure there.”
While his total distance covered has dropped, Jones is required to sprint much more.
“The distance is nearly halved but the high-speed running is gone up. We are sprinting a lot more. Twisting and turning a lot more.
“It is brilliant to play in. Last year, you’d get the ball out wide. You can’t take a man on because if you beat one, you have two more coming and waiting.
“So this year you can get it, you can turn, and you can try and take him on.
“As time goes on, those one-v-one battles might become even better because the defenders will get better at the one-v-one defending and the attackers will get better at the one-v-one attacking. It is new for everyone at the moment.”
Jones admits he found the game “demoralising” to play prior to the changes.
“I think everyone is delighted. Something had to give. It was so bad and so demoralising to play in the last couple of years.
“It is just brilliant to be involved in this. Brilliant to play in every game we have played in this year. Up and down. Great football. All good from my side.
“(Previously) you’d play the odd game where it was brilliant, the scoring would be high, it was open, and there would be one-v-one battles. But that was cancelled out by other games of blanket defence.
“I think for everyone, not even the inside forwards, everyone is enjoying it.
“The backs, Dan O’Mahony inside there, he loves the one-v-one battles. He’s loving this. It is not just us forwards. It is good for everyone.”
Despite netting three goals in the 3-18 to 3-17 victory, Jones didn’t quite deliver on his target for manager John Cleary.
“The goal I set coming in was to set up a goal, that was John’s request. I didn’t quite do that!” he chuckles.
“I am around long enough to know that injuries or form can dip. Anything can change. I just go day from day.
“I am not worried about next week or thinking about next week, it is about tomorrow and getting the recovery right.
“I am definitely not getting ahead of myself. It is only February. Long year ahead yet.”
