FIFA will look again at introducing video technology to assist referees after president Sepp Blatter apologized to England and Mexico for the officiating errors that helped eliminate them from the World Cup. Blatter said Tuesday that FIFA will reopen the debate on high-tech methods to improve decision-making on the pitch following the mistakes in Sunday's matches in Bloemfontein and Johannesburg. “Naturally, we deplore when you see the evidence of referees' mistakes,” said Blatter, adding it would be “a nonsense” for FIFA not to look again at goal-line technology with its rule-making panel. “After having witnessed such a situation,” Blatter said, referring to England's non-goal against Germany, “we have to open again this file, definitely. “Naturally, we will take on board again the discussion about technology. Something has to be changed.” The refereeing system won't be changed midway through the World Cup. Blatter said the panel, known as the International Football Association Board, would begin considering changes at a July meeting in Cardiff, Wales. Blatter said his apologies were accepted by England and Mexico team officials at the matches. “The English said ‘thank you.' The Mexicans, they just go with the head,” Blatter said, indicating that they nodded. “I understand that they are not happy. It was not a five-star game for refereeing.” England was denied a clear goal when Frank Lampard's shot bounced down from the crossbar over the goal line. That would have leveled the match against Germany at 2-2. Germany advanced 4-1. Argentina led 1-0 against Mexico when Carlos Tevez scored while clearly offside. Argentina won 3-1. The errors created a worldwide furor and put pressure on FIFA, which has long opposed allowing officials to use technology to assist in decision-making. A Danish member of the FIFA's Referees Committee said Italian referee Roberto Rosetti, who officiated in the 2008 European Championship final, was to blame for awarding the goal to Tevez. “(Rosetti) was not sharp enough, not focused enough and that is an error that the technology cannot change anything about,” Peter Mikkelsen Scheef told Denmark's TV2 channel.
