The game is called Fowling – which rhymes with bowling – and the attraction is located in a former call center building northeast of 90th and Fort Street.

The game combines two sports popular among Nebraskans: football and bowling.

Instead of rolling a ball down a track, players throw soccer balls at the cones.

If this sounds like a game that fraternity brothers would make up in the hallway of their frat house, you’re not wrong.

According to the man who founded the national franchise, he and some friends came up with the idea while tailgating at the Indy 500 in 2001. When a real bowling ball proved unwieldy for their makeshift bowling alley, they resorted to soccer balls.

The game proved so popular that he soon founded local franchises across the country.

Opened by Omahans Mark Wolf and Dan Fishburn, the Omaha franchise features 30 game lanes and two full-service bars.

It is the ninth Fowling Warehouse in the country.

The object of the game is to knock down all 10 of your opponent’s bowling pins before they knock down your own. Players can throw a football from above or below. A football can bounce or roll, but kicking is not allowed.

There are several ways to win instantly. This can be achieved by scoring a strike – knocking down all 10 pins in one throw – or by knocking the center pin completely off the board while leaving all the other pins standing. This feat, when achieved on a player’s first throw, is called a “BONK.”

Founder Chris Hutt said the game is not as easy as it looks and strength is not necessarily an advantage. This creates a level playing field where women and men, athletic or not, can compete and have fun, he said.

“Some people come here and think, ‘Oh, I’m not going to be able to do this,’ but the opposite is true,” Hutt said.

A quarterback comes in full of confidence, throws too hard and misses the ball, he said.

“Her mother comes in and throws the ball. It bounces three feet to the left, but it’s a football,” he said. “It bounces right back over the pins and knocks out six pins.”

George Kyros, who played a game against his son on Thursday, testified about the challenge.

“It takes a while to get used to throwing at the pins,” Kyros said.

In fact, during Thursday’s grand opening festivities, Fishburn, Wolf, Hutt and another company representative all missed the pins on the ceremonial first throw. On the second attempt, they hit the bullseye, causing the pins to fall apart, and celebrated with high-fives.

The venue features an open, 4,645-square-foot floor plan that the owners say can also be used as an event space for gatherings of up to 1,200 people.

You can imagine it for corporate meetings and events, team building activities, family celebrations, holiday parties, happy hours, networking events and the like.

According to the owners, the bird shoot is a family-friendly activity, best for those ages 6 and up. After 8 p.m., the venue is open to those ages 21 and up.

The public is invited to a free open house on Saturday and Sunday, August 17-18. Interested parties must register for an appointment at https://app.facilityally.com/group/fowling-warehouse-omaha/grand-opening.