we are almost finished remolding out back yard. I need to put something on the side of the house for the dogs and kids to play in. I was reflexively going to use rye, but I was wondering if there was a better option which would be less likely to suffer the ill effects from the dogs output yet still be soft enough for the kids to play football on?

also, If I do use rye, do I seed it on the dirt just like when I over seeded my bermuda (which is not in yet)?