Transition metal catalyzed allylic functionalization reaction plays an important role in organic synthesis, and is an important method to construct carbon-carbon bonds and carbon-heteroatom bonds. With its unique stereochemical properties, the sulfoxide ligand not only achieved excellent results in the traditional (Tsuji-Trost) allylic substitution reaction, but also showed great potential in the allylic C-H activition. According to the catalytic reaction mechanism of the allylic palladium intermediate and the coordination mode of the sulfoxide ligand, the research progress of sulfoxide ligands in the traditional allylic substitution, allylic C-H functionalization and asymmetric allylic C-H functionalization in recent years is summarized, points out the key factors and existing problems that affect each catalytic system and made a prospect for the future development.