His family moved to California, where he played football for Canyon High School in Anaheim[3] and through his four years of college, transitioning to officiating upon his magna cum laude graduation in 1983 from the University of San Diego with a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting.

In the NFL, he wears uniform number 52, previously worn by George Rennix, Ben Tompkins and Tony Veteri Jr. As a college basketball official, Vinovich officiated a first round contest between Virginia Tech and Illinois in the 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 16, 2007.

[5] Vinovich was the referee of Super Bowl XLIX, played on February 1, 2015, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

[9][10] Because of the alleged no-call, which may have denied the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl, a petition was filed to fire Vinovich and his officiating crew.

In January 2024, Vinovich was named as the referee for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, which took place between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on February 11, 2024.