How to protect new borders from football

[nobodygoesdowninthejungle]

I have two DC obsessed by football and who can easily spend a couple of hours a day in the garden kicking a ball around, more if they have friends over. Outside of the "football pitch", my borders are English country garden style and blooming. Around the "football pitch" are some hardy, well established shrubs which withstand anything which is kicked on them and children burrowing around the back of them to retrieve a ball. The perennials, though, never get a chance as they are trampled on too regularly.
How can I give them a chance? I was trying to work out if there was some sort of netting I could put up and over them, but it would have to be pretty solid for the ball to bounce off it. Any other ideas?
Telling the DC not to play football in the garden isn't an option. Not only do I love them being outside and playing together but DC1 is given specific drills to practise as part of her training.

How about a sponge football rather than a leather or plastic one? Though they're not much better if they get soggy.

I am not sure how useful this will be but I’ve given up.
Ive planted some nice things and I hope for the best but I’ve let those borders go, emotionally.
I have years to perfect my borders but my kids will only be laughing and playing in my garden for a little longer, in the grand scheme of things.
However, my geranium rozanne seems to not mind the odd flattening. Geums too altho they are a bit variable.

Also crocus have a filter that suggests plants that don’t mind a football - mostly Ajuga, campanula and bergenia but something might spark your fancy.