A throwing toy having a rotational counter includes a football-shaped body and a tail assembly connected to the football-shaped body. The tail assembly includes a cylindrical body rotationally fixed to the football-shaped body, a rotational counter mounted within the cylindrical body, with the rotational counter having a first part rotationally fixed to the cylindrical body and a second part rotational with respect to the first part, the rotational counter arranged to provide visual indicia indicative of the number of rotations of the first part relative to the second part, and an elongate rod having a central axis. A first end of the elongate rod is operatively fixed to the second part of the rotational counter, and at least one tail fin is mounted to a second end of the elongate rod, the tail fin causing the elongate rod and the second part of the rotational counter to rotate relative to the first part of the rotational counter when the throwing toy is thrown through the air.