JOHANNESBURG  England’s and Mexico’s misfortunes prompted a previously recalcitrant Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, to apologize on Tuesday for refereeing errors and to announce that he would reopen the discussion about the use of goal-line technology in soccer.

“I deplore when you see the evident referees’ mistakes,” Blatter told reporters. “It has not been a five-star game for referees. I’m distressed by the evident referees’ mistakes.”

The teams from England and Mexico paid the price for FIFA’s resistance to improve its officiating at this World Cup when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 after obvious mistakes by the referees.

England was denied a clear score against Germany when Frank Lampard’s shot rattled off the underside of the crossbar and bounced well beyond the goal line. Television cameras showed clearly what the referee and his assistant were not in position to spot. Later that day, Argentina was erroneously awarded a goal against Mexico when forward Carlos Tévez’s score was allowed to stand even though Tévez was clearly offside.