bosman
n. countablen. A free transfer of a footballer who has reached the end of their contract, letting them join a new club with no transfer fee paid to the old one. Named after the 1995 'Bosman ruling'.
n. A transfer in which an out-of-contract footballer joins a new club and no fee is paid to the club they leave. It follows the 1995 European Court of Justice 'Bosman ruling' (after the player Jean-Marc Bosman), which let players move freely once their contracts expired. Usually attributive: 'a Bosman transfer', 'signed on a Bosman'.
The club signed the experienced defender on a Bosman, so they paid no transfer fee.
With his contract running out in the summer, the striker was free to leave on a Bosman, and several big clubs wanted to sign him for nothing.
Ever since the Bosman ruling transformed the transfer market, clubs have been reluctant to let key players run into the final year of their deals, fearful of losing them on a Bosman for no fee.
Primarily used in Dutch, Polish, or South African English contexts; in standard international English, 'boatswain' is the more common term.
Last updated July 26, 2026