Want the whole set of small space games?
Games sorted by what your garden, drive or yard has.
See Small Garden GamesProtecting the Car and Windows From Garden Football Without Ending the Game
Driveway & Hallway
Protecting the car is mostly about where the goal points.
Protecting the car and windows from garden football starts with a layout, not a purchase. Put the goal so the line beyond it runs to a solid fence or open lawn, keep the car and glass behind the shooter or well off to one side, and mark one side as the no-shoot side.
For a long time I thought the answer to the ball clipping the wing mirror was to stop the game for the day, when the real trouble was that I'd set the goal up facing the car every single time. If that layout is not enough, a soft ball, then a net, then window film, in that order.
Draw the map first
Stop the Football Hitting the Car: Map the Danger Zone
Whatever sits on the line beyond the goal is the target of every miss, so start there. Stand where the kicker will stand and look through the goal.
- 1
Shooter's spot. Pick where the kicker stands, then stand there yourself and look through the goal.
- 2
The line beyond the goal. Make sure a solid fence, a hedge or open lawn is on that line, never glass or a car.
- 3
Car and glass behind or beside. Keep windows and the car behind the shooter or well off to one side, a good few adult strides away.
- 4
A marked no-shoot side. Mark the house side with a rope, a tape line or two cones, and say out loud that nobody shoots that way.
The football hitting windows in the garden is almost always the same shot from the same spot, so this test finds it before the glass does. Marking the layout out with tape is covered in the mini pitch guide.
On a driveway, park the car at the end furthest from the play and aim at the garage door or a wall rather than along the drive. Play stops whenever a car is moving in or out, and the goal goes flat. For more layouts, see driveway football game ideas.
Free fixes first
Garden Football Net to Protect Windows, and the Fixes Before It
Climb the ladder only as far as you need to. The first three steps cost little or nothing, so a net does not need buying until they have failed. Film and a cover come last because neither stops the ball.
| Step | What it costs | What it stops | What it leaves open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Move the car | Free. | Takes the most expensive target off the line. | Windows are still there. |
| 2. Turn the goal | Free. | Sends misses to the fence or lawn. | The goal needs re-anchoring each time it moves. |
| 3. Soft ball | About the price of a normal ball. | Lowers the force into paintwork or a pane. | Changes the feel and does not make glass safe. |
| 4. Ball-stop net | A freestanding 10ft net was roughly 80 to 145 GBP at one UK retailer on 30 September 2026. | Catches most misses behind the goal. | Can blow over and does not cover wide shots. |
| 5. Window film or a car cover | Depends on the size of the window or car, and was not priced here. | A cover lessens scuffs. What film can do depends on the pane, so ask a glazier. | Neither stops the ball. |
For the soft ball, see the safest ball for rainy days. If a ball keeps escaping over the boundary, the game that keeps the ball inside a boundary turns it into the point of play. Prices come from one UK retailer's ball-stop net range and a freestanding 10ft net. They are sale prices on one day, so they will move.
Facts worth checking
What the Guidance Says About Goals, Glass and Neighbours
The FA says goalposts of any size, portable included, must be anchored securely or have a weighted back bar. Read the FA's goalpost safety guidance. That is about goals tipping over, not about where a goal should point.
British Glass describes toughened and laminated safety glass and names EN 12600 as the impact test standard, so the useful question about a window is whether the pane is toughened or laminated. Read the British Glass page on safety glass. It is a trade-body page about a certification scheme, not a promise that any pane or film survives a football.
Citizens Advice says that if insurance does not cover damage you can ask a neighbour to pay, and that a negligence claim only succeeds if reasonable care was not taken. Read Citizens Advice on damage and repairs. It sits in the Scotland section, is general information and not legal advice, and says nothing about children playing.
Keep it calm and quick
What to Say When the Ball Hits the Car or a Window
The first time the ball bounced off next door's car I said nothing and went indoors, which was the worst option. Knocking on the door with a coffee and an apology took two minutes.
Check nobody is hurt and nothing is broken first. Pause the game with no telling-off, then look at where the goal was pointing and fix that.
If it is a neighbour's car or window, tell them straight away and offer to sort it. Check whether your home insurance has personal liability cover for damage to other people's property, and what the excess is, before deciding whether to claim.
"Shall we check the car first, then turn the goal round before the next shot?"
To a neighbour: "Our ball hit your car just now. Can I show you where and sort it out?"
Quick answers
Common Questions About Protecting the Car and Windows From Football
How do I stop the football hitting the car?
Move the car to the far end, point the goal at a fence or open lawn so the line beyond it is clear, and mark a no-shoot side. Try those before buying anything.
What if the football keeps hitting windows in the garden?
Look at what sits on the line beyond the goal. Turn the goal so that line runs to a fence or lawn, use a soft ball, then add a ball-stop net if it still happens. Film and a car cover are a last resort because neither stops the ball, and a glazier can say what film suits a pane.
Is a garden football net worth it to protect windows?
Only after moving the car, turning the goal and using a soft ball. One UK retailer listed freestanding 10ft-high nets at roughly 80 to 145 GBP on 30 September 2026, prices move, and a net does not cover wide shots.
How do I keep football away from the car on the driveway?
Park at the far end, aim at the garage door or a wall rather than along the drive, and stop play whenever a car is moving.
Who pays if the ball hits a neighbour's car?
Tell them straight away and offer to sort it. Citizens Advice says a claim in negligence needs proof that reasonable care was not taken, so check whether your home insurance has personal liability cover for damage to other people's property first.
Keep going
Where to Go From Here
Three places to go next, depending on what your space needs. When the ball goes over the fence anyway, a plan for football over the fence into the neighbours' garden helps. For a ball that goes up instead of out, getting a stuck football down safely is the page to read.
Ball keeps leaving the garden?
A boundary game that keeps the ball where you want it.
See the boundary gameFlowerbeds taking the hits too?
Tough plants and simple borders that survive a football.
See the plants pageTonight's five minutes
Stand where the shooter stands and look through the goal before the next kickabout.
Five minutes, a rope or two cones, and one look at what sits behind the goal.