<p>This study focuses on flexible protection mesh fabricated from high-strength polyester fibers for addressing rockburst protection challenges in deep tunnels. Material mechanical parameters were determined through static tests and a modeling method for flexible mesh that can reflect the mechanical behaviors of strips and nodes was proposed based on Abaqus Explicit. Drop weight impact simulations were conducted and the model reliability was verified by comparison with existing tests. On this basis, a finite element model of the bolt-mesh system was established and multi-condition numerical simulations were conducted considering different impact positions, bolt spacings, plate sizes, and bolt patterns. This study reveals the dynamic response characteristics of the flexible protection mesh and clarifies the influences of various factors on the protective performance of the mesh. The results show that: (1) Numerical simulation can accurately simulate the mechanical behavior of the flexible mesh under drop weight impact, with an error of ≤ 5% compared with the test; (2) Impact energy is mainly absorbed by the plastic deformation of the flexible mesh accompanied by large mesh deformation, and most energy absorption occurs after the mesh deflection exceeds 300&#xa0;mm; (3) When the drop weight impacts between two adjacent bolts, the protection effect depends more on the local strip strength, while impact on the edge region depends more on the node strength; (4) The best protection effect of the mesh is achieved if smaller bolt spacing, larger size bolt plates and diamond bolt pattern are adopted.</p>