§ 1297.311.Award In Writing and Signed By Tribunal Members

This short section sets the baseline for every arbitral award that follows in this article: it has to be in writing, and it has to be signed by the members of the tribunal. Nothing about an oral ruling or an informal announcement satisfies the requirement -- the award needs a physical, signed document behind it.

That formality matters well beyond the arbitration itself. A written, signed award is what a party later takes to a court seeking recognition or enforcement, and it's the document that has to carry the reasons, date, and place the following sections require. Everything else in this article builds on the assumption that this basic writing-and-signature requirement has been met.