Backcourt ruling?

[BryanV21]

Originally Posted by APG

The tipped signal should be given once the ball is deflected by the defense and the ball is in the backcourt.

If we waited until the ball was actually in the backcourt then the offense could very well be at a disadvantage, as they would have "held up" when going after the ball to avoid the violation. Which seems to contradict the reason for giving the signal in the first place.

However, I can't find anything that says when the signal should be given. I'm looking in the rule book and the official's manual.

EDIT: How about that? It's mentioned in the beginning of the book, under rule changes, that the signal chart "added a defensive tip to indicate that the official has ruled that the ball entered the backcourt as a result of contact with a defensive player". So, you're right APG. However, it still seems like the signal should be given sooner, so that the offense can try to get the ball right away instead of "holding up" to avoid a possible violation.