When could a fleet break its battle line for a general chase?

In the context of ship-of-the-line warfare, a fleet could break its battle line for a general chase upon receiving a specific signal from the fleet admiral.1

During the 17th and early 18th centuries, naval tactics were often defined by a conflict between "formalists," who insisted on maintaining a strict columnar formation throughout an engagement, and "meleeists," who advocated for breaking the line to pursue a retreating enemy. As the tactical advantages of the melee became more widely recognized, the practice of breaking the line for a general chase was adopted, allowing commanders to abandon the rigid formation to pursue fleeing enemy ships.1