The generic object-oriented substation event（GOOSE） is a multicast communication mechanism of IEC 61850 used for real time communication between intelligent electric devices（IEDs）. But the multicast filtering method recommended in IEC 61850 is not maneuverable for engineering practice. Based on an analysis of three multicast messages filtering mechanisms， it has been found that the multicast filtering configuration of switches is a feasible scheme for GOOSE application. The management of switch configurations as settings will be inevitable for digital substations. IEC 61850 should adopt a unified dynamic multicast protocol for filtering of GOOSE messages.