Pod shattering is a natural property of wild soybean (Glycine soja) for propagation and also a major cause of yield loss in cultivated soybean (Glycine max L. Merr). Thus, studies on occurrence characteristics and molecular genetic basis of pod shattering in soybean can provide insights into both molecular mechanisms and potential application in legume crop improvement. In this review, we summarize the occurrence features and phenotypic identification methods of pod shattering based on analysis of the cellular microstructure of shattering-resistant soybean pod. We also introduced the identification and breeding of shattering-resistant germplasms, the progress of molecular genetic studies on shattering-resistant phenotype in soybean as well as perspectives on future studies of pod-shattering trait and application in crop improvement.