Final answer:
If the ball were to go through the stone ring, it would signify success in the Maya game and the ball would continue to roll downhill, gaining kinetic energy, as described by the provided physics context.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the ball were to go through the stone ring, it means that the ball has successfully followed a path that circumvents the barrier of the rim of the semicircular bowl. In the context of a game being played by the Maya culture, as described in the text, achieving this would have likely been the main objective of the game, where the ball had to be passed through the stone ring without it hitting the ground, an accomplishment that held significant ritual importance. In terms of physics, specifically referencing the examples of motion and energy described in Figure 31.30 and 31.26, if a marble had enough kinetic energy to reach the altitude of a dashed line but not enough to get over the rim of a semicircular bowl, it would indeed be trapped; however, if a tunnel or equivalent were present (akin to the stone ring in the Maya game), the marble could escape, roll downhill, and in doing so gain additional kinetic energy.