In the absence of friction and obstacles, the ball would continue to move in a straight line at the same speed once it is released. This phenomenon is described by Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia.

According to this law, an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with an unvarying speed and in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.

In the case of a ball, if there were no friction between the ball and the surface it is moving on (such as the ground or air) and no obstacles that it may collide with, it would keep rolling in the direction it was initially imparted with, maintaining its initial velocity.

In the real world, however, friction and air resistance always act on a moving object, slowing it down and eventually causing it to come to a stop unless an additional force is applied.