The coefficient of restitution and contact duration of the impact of bronze, brass and steel spheres on large (extended in length and width) glass plates have been determined experimentally. The results clearly exhibit different amounts of energy dissipation mainly due to plastic deformation of the spheres and bending of the plate. Influence of the material properties and size of the spheres, impact velocity, thickness of the plate, propagation of elastic waves in the plate, and bending of the plate on the energy dissipation and contact duration have been studied and are discussed in detail. The results have been evaluated with adequate theoretical models from the literature, describing the elastic and elastic-perfectly plastic impacts, namely the models of Hertz, Zener, Hunter, Thornton and Walton-Braun. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.